When I See You Again
by FallenCrimsonStar
Summary: AU NaruHina. Hinata Hyuuga is an average girl going to a normal high school. When the new boy Naruto Uzumaki takes an interest in her she is not prepared for the dark secret he is hiding. COMPLETE!
1. The New Boy In Town

**A/N: Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out. Just be prepared! *wink* **

**This is AU of course, and therefore OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum. **

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 1 – The New Boy In Town

"Billboard brow!"

"Ino pig!"

I closed my eyes and covered my ears, unable to listen anymore. Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka were my best friends, but they hated each other. Or at least, that was the common misconception. They argued, screamed at each other and fought over Sasuke Uchiha, but in the end, were always there for each other. It made me wonder if they just enjoyed the banter. I wasn't the most popular girl at school, but they were both well-liked, and treated me better than they treated each other (or anyone else for that matter).

Our school was called Konohamaru High, after the ancient name for our village, Konoha. There were several schools in this village, but most kids came _here_. I often wondered what it would be like to go to the Ninja Academy, where they trained you to defend the village and the surrounding region. It all sounded so glamorous and mysterious; the school board was _too_ particular about who they took on as students. Prestigious as well. Bet it costs a bundle just to get your foot in _that_ door.

I sighed, opening my eyes and uncovering my ears, realising the time.

"C-come on, g-guys," I stuttered. "The bell is a-about to r-ring."

And as usual, they stopped at the sound of my voice. Hinata Hyuuga, heir to the Hyuuga fortune and the girl least likely to raise her voice – that's me all over. My voice was soft and usually lost amongst the noises going on around me, but my friends reacted as though I had just spoken like an ordinary girl.

"Gee Hinata," Ino said curtly, a smile on her face. "You sure know how to get a girl's attention."

"Leave her alone, Ino pig," Sakura warned, looking furious.

I worried she was about to start the argument all over again. "Come on," I said more confidently, "or we'll be late for c-class."

That last stutter shattered my composure and I lowered my head.

"Grow a backbone," Ino said. "I know what you need; you need a boyfriend, that'll loosen you up!" She was alight with giddiness. "Yes, _I_ shall find you a boyfriend, Hinata Hyuuga," she said melodramatically, and winked at me. "Just you wait, Ino, "love-match extraordinaire" is on the job!"

She left happily, practically skipping through the halls of our school. "Ignore her," Sakura said, locking arms with me. "You're perfect exactly the way you are."

I smiled and nodded. "K-kay."

Sakura and I shared almost every class together, and she was probably the one I got on with better, what with Ino always trying to change who I was; not that I loved who I was, but Sakura never snapped at me for stuttering, or being shy. She always told me that when I was ready, the boys would notice.

"You know," Sakura said, as we walked through the hallways. "Ino used to tell me that I was a flower bud that just needed to blossom. I think the same thing is true about you too. You're so shy, so nerve wracked around other people, but given enough time, you'll open up, in your own way."

"She t-told you t-that?" I asked, surprised. Ino was not a vindictive or nasty girl, but I couldn't picture her saying something so sweet.

Sakura nodded her head. "Yeah, funny huh? She's weird like that, more weird than she'll admit. She's so wrapped up in what others think of her, and what's in style, you'd never think there was wisdom beneath." She giggled. "Not that I can talk. _My_ day starts and ends with Sasuke Uchiha and what new hairstyle or sexy outfit might get his attention."

"You're so c-confident," I said, trying to control my stuttering. "I'm just a s-stuttering f-fool."

Sakura stopped walking and eyed me, annoyed. "Don't you dare, no Hinata, don't you dare understate yourself! Ooh, this is all that Ino pig's fault! Just you wait until I get my hands on her! I'll make her rue the day she poked that pig-face out into the world!"

I laughed softly. "Th-thanks, Sakura. I feel better n-now."

She smiled, though I knew her well enough to know she still wanted to have a go at Ino. "You're welcome."

X X X

School was finished for the day and I started to walk home alone, glancing up at the Primary Building in the distance. It was the largest structure in the village and hard to miss. The strongest ninja in all of Konoha was the military leader, the Hokage – her name was Lady Tsunade. But a civilian leader, by the name of Lord Homura (an elderly gentleman), was responsible for the more day-to-day aspects. After all, Konoha wasn't some military dominant village or anything.

I chuckled at that and turned away from the sight. I had an assignment to finish before the end of the week and the need for help on the last leg of that torturous chore. There was a familiar, raven haired boy waiting for me when I got home. He always wagged the last class of the day, because he helped out in his spare time at his father's work – the Uchiha were the law enforcers of the civilian population in Konoha.

Sasuke Uchiha waved to me. He was sweet to me and always helped me with school work while Sakura and Ino were busy. Sakura worked in the canteen at the hospital, hoping to get her foot in the door as she trained to be a nurse. Only ninja had enough skill with the human body to be the doctors. It had always been this way – nurses were just assistants, nothing more.

Ino worked in her parent's flower shop and was never home when Hinata _needed_ to study. The life of a socialite. I sighed. So Sasuke, the smartest boy in our year, was the only other option for me.

"Have y-you been waiting l-long?" I asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "But I just have to go pick up a friend before we start," he said. "He's just moved to Konoha and will be starting at Konohamaru High tomorrow."

"C-can I come with y-you?" I asked and he smiled, nodding at me.

"Sure," he said, losing his smile as several giggling girls waltzed past, staring at him.

But that was Sasuke for you. Even when he smiled, you just knew he would rather be somewhere else. He was aloof, expressionless, and quiet; this made him so mysterious, and girls love mysterious. But he had been my friend longer than even Sakura or Ino, though never a best friend or anything like that. It still surprised me that he was otherwise so nice to _me_.

I raced up to my bedroom, dropped off my school stuff and rejoined Sasuke outside. The main entrance to Konoha seemed to be our destination.

"So," Sasuke said, "your friend, Sakura Haruno is pretty."

I glanced at him, but he didn't say anything else about her. Was Sakura and Ino's fight over him about to have a winner? Part of me hoped not. What would it do to their friendship?

At the entrance gates, a lone, blonde boy greeted Sasuke happily. "Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke growled. "I told you not to add that suffix to my name. Do you want another bruise?"

"As if Sasuke," the boy chuckled and turned to me. "Who is your pretty friend?"

I felt my cheeks warm, realising I had been staring at him, gobsmacked. He was so handsome!

"Hinata Hyuuga," Sasuke said, "this is my friend Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto took my hand and kissed it. "_Now_, I have a reason to switch schools."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. "Yeah, and then tomorrow, you'll be hounding the Hokage, wanting to be transferred to the Ninja Academy. Loser."

Naruto pulled a face at him. "Come on Hinata, let's leave this guy and you can show me around."

Sasuke smirked, glancing at me. "Okay Hinata, go with Uzumaki. But be warned: he _bites_!"

He was just being melodramatic, surely. He wouldn't act this way around anyone else. I felt like I was going to faint when Naruto held my hand in his.

"O-okay," I said and let him lead me away.

What was it about him that med me so giddy? I glanced back at Sasuke. He did _not_ look happy.

X X X

**A/N: Hope you like it, I finished it rather quickly. Tell me what you think, if there's any room for improvement! Review, please! I love reviews, and you do too! :] **


	2. Their First Date

**A/N: Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out. Just be prepared! *wink* **

**This is AU of course, and therefore OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum. **

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2 – Their First Date

My name is Hinata Hyuuga. I am the oldest daughter of Hiashi and Hanari Hyuuga, and my sister's name is Hanabi. Amongst the civilian ranks in Konoha, the village of my birth, the Hyuuga clan holds a lot of sway on the council, and Hiashi Hyuuga is the head of our clan.

But I was never pampered like Hanabi is, and even though I'm supposed to be the heir to the Hyuuga legacy, my father has yet to name me as such. Still, I would be happy either way. Despite being pampered, Hanabi was a good sister to me. And while she inherited our father's confidence and natural talents, I was stuck with shy awkwardness, which came in the form of stuttering.

The civilian leader of our village is Lord Homura, the prefix Jōshi often added honourably to his name; the ninja community is led by the Hokage, Lady Tsunade.

I was excited, being led away from the entrance gates to Konoha, away from my friend Sasuke Uchiha, but holding hands with Naruto Uzumaki.

"So," Naruto said, carrying a single carry bag in his free hand as he pulled me along unnecessarily. "Where is the fun in this little town?"

I blushed at his voice, entranced by that golden hair, those wide, excited eyes. "All the t-teenagers like the Theatre."

Naruto frowned. "Theatre?"

I nodded my head. "The Theatre; it's a night c-club."

He brightened. "That's more like it." I giggled and he smiled down at me. "So that's what it's called?"

"Yes, the gekíjō."

He stopped pulling me along with him and stood still, looking at me directly. "Hinata Hyuuga, you didn't stutter."

"How d-do you know I always s-stutter?" I asked, surprised.

"Sasuke-kun told me," he said. "He has told me all about his life here in Konoha. I used to live here, but when I moved away, we kept in touch. The place sure has changed."

"H-how?"

He looked irreverent, bouncing slightly on the spot. "Oh, this and that." He avoided my question. "Sasuke is just jealous you know."

"Of w-what?"

Naruto looked down at our hands. "You and I have met before today."

This didn't seem possible. "When?"

He smiled at me, and I realised that again, I didn't stutter. Feeling more confident, I stepped closer to him. "When did we m-meet, Naruto?"

"Aaww!" He pouted. "No kun suffix for _me_?"

I laughed softly. He was being immature, the way he pulled a face, and the way his voice went up one or two octaves, but I couldn't help myself. He was just so damned cute. How could I have _ever_ forgotten those bright blue eyes, let alone that hair? It didn't seem possible.

I shook my head, teasing him. "N-no, you have t-to earn it."

He perked up. "Okay, how?"

My face warmed and I imagine the skin was _very_ red. "Oh, I d-don't know..."

Naruto grinned at me. "Okay, how about I treat you to some ramen. I heard from Sasuke that there's this new place here called Itchiraku, is it any good?"

I nodded enthusiastically, grateful for the turn in the conversation. "Y-yes, b-but it's not new. Teuchi and Ayame have worked there for y-years."

His face lit up. "I _love_ ramen. Okay, I just have to sign in to admissions in the Primary Building, get my stuff up to the new apartment, and double check when my parents are coming." He sighed. "I came ahead and they'll be here tonight."

"You're on y-your own?" I asked, shocked.

He just shrugged. "Don't worry, I'm used to it."

The Primary Building was the largest structure in the village, where both the civilian and military councils were. Each new resident or visitor had to "check in" so to speak, as soon as they arrived. It used to be just tradition, but was now the law. And Naruto was transferring to one of the three schools here, called Konohamaru High, after the ancient name for our village. I was nervous, wondering what subjects we would be sharing.

"Okay, N-Naruto."

"We'll meet at Itchiraku's, okay?" He let go of my hand. "In an hour." He smirked cheekily as he backed away. "Our first date."

I nodded and smiled. And then I remembered. "But you don't even know w-where Itchiraku's is."

Naruto just shrugged. "I'll find it."

I sighed deeply, wondering if this was some kind of magical dream. What else could I do? That bright blonde hair disappeared into the crowd and I walked home, deep in thought.

'_Our first date,' _I thought.

I was giddy with the mere notion that someone so amazing had just asked me out (this was all happening so fast, but I promised myself that I was going to take this one step at a time). Okay, so Naruto hadn't given me flowers, done the invite properly, or suggested we dress up and go somewhere extravagant, but he had said that all important word "date" and I decided to make sure he didn't forget that.

X X X

I decided to dress casually, despite my desire to impress Naruto. Maybe if this went well, I could invite him to the Theatre. That was a place where my inner fashion freak could _really_ shine. So, in my favourite dark blue three-quarter pants and blue/grey hooded jacket, I headed off to meet up with Naruto. He was already waiting for me, a grin on his face as he noticed that I had changed clothes.

_He_ was still wearing the same dark crimson pants and black shirt he had been wearing when he'd arrived in the village. I silently thanked that part of me that had decided to keep this casual. At least I didn't look out of place.

"Naruto," I said, not stuttering.

His smile widened. "You look great Hinata. That outfit really suits you."

I struggled not to show my embarrassment and instead smiled back. "Thank y-you Naruto."

"Al right," he said, "it's time for me to earn my Kun, and then I can give you a Chan."

I giggled. "O-okay."

"Good after noon Hinata," Teuchi, the Itchiraku chef, greeted me and looked at Naruto. Ayame beamed at me as Naruto and I took our seats in the restaurant stall. "Who is your new friend?" She asked happily.

"Teuchi, Ayame," I said, indicating to them in turn. "This is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Is he paying for your food?" Ayame asked cheekily.

She had clearly noticed the warming of my cheeks. She was normally very sweet, but when we talked about boys, I got the feeling she was trying to force my hand. At least she wasn't as bad as my friend Ino Yamanaka. Remembering Ino's declaration today at school that she would find me a boyfriend didn't embarrass me. I couldn't wait to show her and Sakura Haruno that I had met someone all on my own and someone incredible too.

"You betcha," Naruto said proudly, thumping his chest and making Ayame giggle.

"Good man," Teuchi said and turned away to tend to his steaming pots. "What'll it be?"

We ordered and Naruto's eyes lit up when he tasted the noodles. He was over the moon and seeing him so happy brought an incorrigible smile to my face. Itchiraku's really _was_ the best in town.

"Why d-did Sasuke say you b-bite?" I asked, surprised at myself. I was still eating my pork ramen and thinking about how annoyed Sasuke had seemed when Naruto took an interest in me.

Naruto was not expecting the question and, after downing the last of his food, he stared into the empty bowl, clearly thinking.

"I'm s-sorry, Naruto-kun, I d-didn't mean to..." I trailed off.

He waved my concern away. "Nah, don't apologise. You didn't upset me. But you realise you just kun′d me, right?"

His endearing usage of the suffix made me chuckle. "Y-yeah, I did, d-didn't I?"

"Okay Hinata-chan," he said, winking at me. "I'll tell you why Sasuke is jealous. Because he knows I'm going to be _so_ popular here. It just burns him up that I'm so amazing."

That wasn't what I had asked, but the subject (whatever it was about) seemed distressing to him, so I let it drop. "Yeah, he is going to, h-huh?"

"Believe it," he said, ordering another bowl of ramen.

I turned down his offer of another one for myself when I finished it before he was done ordering his second bowl and went over his words in my head. He had said Sasuke was jealous, and earlier that he and I had met before. I tried to remember, but the image of this blonde boy sitting next to me did not come to me. We couldn't have met before.

"Why so serious?" Teuchi asked me and I perked up, forcing these concerns out of my head.

"I'm o-okay."

"You looked a million miles away," Naruto observed.

I shrugged. "J-just thinking."

"Well _that_ was obvious," Teuchi said, but didn't push the matter.

We finished up, Naruto paid Ayame, and on the chorus of "thank you so much" from the father and daughter, we left Itchiraku's.

There was still light in the day, but a slight orange glow hinted at the dusk on the horizon. "I w-want to show you s-something," I said, taking Naruto's hand before my nerves could stop me.

I was still stuttering, but he was filling me with a kind of confidence I had never felt before. Naruto seemed impressed. "Lead the way."

The Hyuuga compound had a duck pond where families of these birds gathered at dusk and I had a sudden urge to share this with Naruto. I had a feeling that whatever was bothering him was family related. We were complete strangers and even though I didn't remember that meeting he claimed we had, I _felt_ like I could tell Naruto anything. I wasn't going to push the matter, but I also wanted him to trust me.

Neji Hyuuga, my cousin and good friend was the only one home when we arrived. The extensions of the Hyuuga clan lived in a small community in much the same way the Uchiha did. Neji had already left high school, and had recently turned eighteen.

"Good afternoon, Neji-kun," I said, bowing slightly.

"Hello Hinata-chan." Neji greeted me, his voice as impassive as his face. He was the Hyuuga version of Sasuke in many ways.

He didn't ask about Naruto, but his eyes drifted to our clasped hands nonetheless. Once he left us be, I sighed deeply. "He's always l-like that, ever since his f-father died."

Naruto nodded, not complaining, but he pulled a face anyway. I laughed, unable to stop myself. "This w-way Naruto-kun."

Naruto let go of my hand when we reached the duck pond and moved in closer to the water, bending down to peer in at the birds swimming about the surface. I watched and waited quietly. A cool breeze wafted through and suddenly I remembered that I still had an essay to finish. It didn't need to be completed tonight, but I was paranoid about these things. Just in case something happened, I wanted to get it done in plenty of time. There was no way I was leaving it until the last minute – Sakura's influence, I suppose.

I moved up next to Naruto and knelt down beside him. "They c-come out every afternoon," I said. "Something about the temperature at d-dusk and the sound of the afternoon w-wind attracts them. B-but they always come out as a f-family, and never alone."

Naruto lowered his head in a forlorn way; much like he had in Itchiraku's when I'd questioned him. He inhaled deeply. "I was five when I left Konoha," he said softly and sympathetically, I listened without interrupting. "I found out some things about my family and couldn't get out fast enough." He looked up at me. "I left on my own."

I hugged him instinctively and he held my arm. "There's something I need to tell you," he said. "I can't tell you all of it yet, but I didn't return to Konoha just to attend high school. I also came here for you."

X X X

**A/N: *evil grin* Perfect spot to cut it off… More intrigue coming, as well as "high school antics", lol. Be patient with me. **

**Yes, I know Hinata's mother is not called Hanari, and that she isn't actually named in the anime/manga. Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews, and you do too! :] **


	3. The Best Laid Plans

**A/N: Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out. **

**This is AU of course, and possibly OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum. **

**Also, apologies ahead of time – I'm not bagging on Sakura or Ino. **

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3 – The Best Laid Plans

I ate my breakfast quickly, in a hurry to leave for school. Yesterday afternoon, I had met the most extraordinary boy. Naruto Uzumaki, a blonde haired, mysterious boy who hid behind a cheeky smile and his good looks every time I tried to figure him out. But regardless of his evasiveness, I couldn't help myself. My heart fluttered at the mere thought of him. Just remembering that golden hair, those gorgeous blue eyes – it made me want to see him even more.

"_I didn't return to Konoha just to attend high school. I also came here for you"_

And at the duck pond on the Hyuuga family compound – a community much like the Uchiha estate – he had added even more mystery to the question mark over his head. This did not make me uncomfortable; after all, I didn't know him well enough to take his vagueness personally. But the way he'd taken to me just made me more confused. And then there was the fact that Sasuke had been rather standoffish toward his friend's interest in me, Naruto then claimed to have met me before, and for some reason, I did not remember Naruto. His bright hair alone should've been a reminder. But _nothing_ from my childhood came to mind.

Sasuke Uchiha. I worried about my friend. He was indifferent and arrogant toward most people, but had _never_ looked at me the way he did yesterday. He was a very difficult guy to get to know, but had always treated me properly. I had never been surprised by his behaviour until yesterday.

I sighed. All this intrigue was giving me a headache. I cleaned my plate, ran back upstairs, collected my school bag (a shoulder bag – all the kids carried them), and collected the packed lunch I had made, out of the fridge.

"Wait, Hinata," Hanari Hyuuga said, calling after me as I tried to run out the door. "I need you to go by the Primary Building and drop some forms off for your father."

I hadn't heard my mother enter the first floor kitchen. The Hyuuga family was rich, and we even had our own chef, but it was the rules at Konohamaru High School and my father's ignorance of me that made me prepare my own lunch. They were strict about food entering school grounds.

I turned to face my mother. She had the same long, dark blue hair as me, with darker eyes, as she'd married into the Hyuuga clan (the clans kept the name, regardless of whether it was the man or woman born into that specific family – my _father_ was the head of our clan). My eyes were like my father's – the pupil-less look was a family trait that could be traced back to when the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans had first arrived in Konoha(at the same time), but not before. I sighed deeply again.

"Y-yes, mother." I took the envelope reluctantly.

The Primary Building would be out of my way, and considering it was home to both the civilian and military councils of the village, I wasn't looking forward to going in; the ninja always creeped me out. Yeah sure, just like everyone else, I secretly fantasised about what the life of a ninja would be like, but unlike most kids my age (I'm sixteen, turning seventeen in about five months), I had actually seen inside of the ninja division of the Primary Building. My father had forgotten I was in the building one time, when he was supposed to be looking after me, and had gone into one of his "meetings". That kept him busy for several hours, while I'd explored. I remember that when he had found out I'd spent the entire time crawling through the air vents in the ninja section, he had never been so angry.

"Don't look so depressed," my mother said, kissing the top of my head. "Your father needs the forms by this afternoon, and I have a million and one errands to run today. So you can drop them off at any time, as long as it's before four o'clock. I can see you're in a hurry to get to school."

I blushed under my mother's knowing, cheeky smile. She always saw right through me. I said good bye and left. Naruto Uzumaki was the reason I couldn't wait to get to school.

X X X

In the big cities, students would take the subway to school, but here in Konoha, there was no such transportation. We got around by foot, or bicycle. I walked into the school grounds, extremely happy. Neither Ino Yamanaka nor Sakura Haruno had arrived yet, and while part of me couldn't wait to tell them about Naruto, another part was relieved. I wanted to talk to Naruto first.

But originally, I had wanted to get to school early to beat my friend Sasuke Uchiha there and grill him on Naruto. Of course, my plan wasn't full proof, which was just another reason to get in early. I had no idea whether Naruto counted tardiness as a deadly sin or just an ordinary morning. He was irreverent enough to be blasé about important things like being on time to school.

Sasuke came early often, but most people didn't know this. He left home early to escape his father and avoid his older brother. We both had difficult home lives due to certain family members, and had bonded over this fact. I dumped my shoulder bag in my locker and headed out of the hallways. At this time in the morning, Sasuke would be down at the track field, just out of sight and probably smoking on a joint, or something like that.

He didn't look up as I approached him, my hands in the pockets of my blazer, the only part of the school uniform I actually liked. It reminded me of my favourite blue/grey hooded jacket. _He_ however, was out of uniform.

"Sasuke-kun, good m-morning," I said cheerfully.

He looked up at me and I noted how he seemed more like his old self. The annoyed expression from yesterday afternoon was gone, thankfully. He smiled slightly. "Hinata; I thought I was the only one stupid enough to come into school this early."

I shrugged. "I'd never t-tell anyone."

"I know you can keep a secret, Hinata-chan." He screwed up his nose for a second. "Do you still want me to help me with your assignment?"

He had offered to help me with my essay on Maritime War. History was not a strong point for me.

I nodded, and sat on the wooden bench, next to him. "I just n-need help with the f-finer points." I took a deep breath, noting how he had yet to mention what happened yesterday afternoon.

"You wouldn't need help if you paid attention in class," he said casually. "We both know you're smart."

I shrugged my shoulders. "M-maybe." I cleared my throat. "Sasuke-kun, I wanted to ask you s-something."

"Fire away," he said, running a hand through his dark hair, and blowing his cigarette smoke away from me.

"W-what did you mean y-yesterday, about Naruto?"

He frowned at me. "What did I say?"

I suddenly felt foolish, remembering Sasuke's exact words, but forced myself to quote him. "Y-you said, he b-bites."

I expected him to laugh it off, or prod me in a teasing manner and admit he had been joking. I did not expect him to nod his head, staring at me seriously. "Yes, he _does_."

"What do you m-mean?"

"I _meant_ that Naruto Uzumaki has a track record of biting girls when he's horny." He chuckled at my shocked expression. "Not something he'd admit to me, seeing as though I tease him about everything, but I've heard stories."

"L-like?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at me. "Do you like him Hinata?"

His change in demeanour shocked me and I only nodded my head. That scornful look from yesterday was back.

Sasuke lowered his voice and tilted his head to speak in my ear. "He's a trouble maker." He stood and brushed himself off unnecessarily. "I'm heading over to the mall, I need more grass."

Translation: he was due to meet his marijuana supplier. I hated that he smoked and hung around high school drop outs. But at least I knew he could handle himself – at least against _normal_ opponents.

"Don't g-get c-caught," I said, also standing. We both knew I was referring to the ninja black ops. Sasuke was more than capable of eluding the civilian law.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'll be careful if you do."

I still didn't understand why Sasuke would warn me about Naruto. "If y-you tell me why m-me hanging out w-with your friend b-bothers you."

Sasuke looked intently into my eyes. He had that notorious Uchiha stare down pat, but it didn't affect me like it did other girls. I wasn't swooning and praying he was about to kiss me.

"I'm not coming back to school today," he said. "I have business to deal with. I'll meet you at your place afterward and help you with the essay, okay?"

I nodded. "O-okay." I grabbed him as he turned to walk away. "Sasuke-kun, p-please, answer my question."

He sighed, fishing through his pockets for more weed perhaps. "I don't want to see you get hurt, that's all. Naruto grew up in a big city after he left Konoha, and the teenagers there are more _liberal_ than you're used to, that's all."

"Thank y-you for your c-concern, Sasuke, r-really," I said, smiling at him. If I had a brother, it would be Sasuke, and for that I was grateful. "I'll be c-careful, I promise."

I hugged him, and typically, he didn't hug me back. It wasn't his style, even with me. Sasuke left the school grounds then, and sighing, I turned back toward the plain, prison-like buildings. Now I had a question for Naruto.

X X X

By the time I'd walked slowly down to Sasuke, talked with him, then dragged my heels returning to my locker, Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno had finally arrived. Ino's blonde hair stood out, so I noticed her from a distance, next to the unique, pink hair of Sakura. They were talking normally, but Sakura looked annoyed.

"I know what you said," Sakura said, gritting her teeth. "I'm just suggesting you think before you speak from now on."

"Bite me forehead girl," Ino said, not caring to look at her as she fished through her locker. "We both know you're just jealous."

"Jealous?"

Okay, so this _normal_ conversation was turning into an argument. Students walking past were smirking at them, knowing full well how this was going to end. Ino and Sakura were infamous for arguing one day, making up the next, and then fighting again – over Sasuke every time. It was a strange friendship. They confused me more than anything.

In fact, I had often wondered if they had only become friends with me when we entered Elementary School (more traditionally referred to as Shogakkou), because I've always been close to Sasuke. But when I finally gathered up the courage to ask them, they assured me he had nothing to do with it. If they had asked me anything about him, I wouldn't have believed this claim, but they never have. So, now as a Senior High School student (the education level is traditionally called Koukou), I no longer worry – not about _that_ at least.

"Jealous?" Sakura repeated, turning red. "Why would I be jealous of a retard _pig_?"

And _this_ time, that fine line they knew not to cross, if they wanted to continue being friends, was crossed by Sakura.

"H-hey," I said, coming up next to Sakura as Ino slammed her locker shut to glare at her pink haired _friend_.

"Retard?" Ino said, seething. "You're calling _me_ a retard? I'm not the one who waited at the mall all afternoon yesterday because she heard Sasuke might show up!"

"Oh yeah?" Sakura clenched her fists. "Well then, where were _you_ Ino pig? I heard you were waiting outside of his family estate, hoping to glimpse him in his bedroom, like some lovesick _retard_."

That was it. Ino lunged first, screaming bloody murder and I was left staring at them, stunned. They'd never _attacked_ each other before. The students either watched or spurred them on, and it took the combined effort from several teachers to pull them a part. I watched disappointed, as Sakura and Ino were carried off. It was moments like these when I was left feeling lonely. Sasuke had left the school grounds and my only female friends were carted off like crazy people.

"What was _their_ deal?"

I spun around at the sound of the cheeky voice. It was Naruto Uzumaki. I smiled at him, my gaze drifting to his hair, travelling down over his face and those unusual marks on his cheeks. They made him look so _good_. Not that he needed help there; already I spotted a few girls giggling amongst themselves and staring meaningfully at him.

'_He was right when he said he was going to be popular here.'_

"They're f-friends," I said.

He frowned at me. "And that's a _problem_?"

I nodded. "They both like S-Sasuke."

Naruto chuckled. "I should've guessed." He peered intently at me and I felt myself blush. "_You_ don't like Sasuke that way, do you?"

I shook my head and he smiled. "Good."

I giggled, unable to stop myself.

"And where is our resident Romeo?" He asked.

"He l-left," I said. "H-he won't be b-back today."

"Another good thing."

"Huh?"

Naruto leant in toward me. "I get you all to myself."

Suddenly, I was _very_ flushed. He was being very direct, and it was shaking me to my core. "What d-do you m-mean?"

"Don't worry," he said, moving away from me. "I wouldn't dream of embarrassing you by kissing you in public." He winked at me and I inhaled deeply.

After yesterday afternoon, I hadn't exactly been expecting him to break down and confess the rest of his secret to me, but he was acting so different right now. It made me think of Sasuke's warning. Was Naruto _really_ trouble?

"What did you m-mean yesterday?" I asked. I _needed_ to know why he had said he'd come back to Konoha for _me_. He had avoided the question yesterday, and it was annoying me.

Naruto surveyed the lockers intently and, seemingly finding his, stepped away from me. I followed him, determined. "Well?"

He grinned at me. "You're not stuttering so much."

"Naruto, p-please answer m-my question."

He looked disappointed. "You dropped the kun."

I rolled my eyes at him. "N-not _that_ again."

"I promise Hinata-chan," he said gazing into my eyes with what I could only guess was wonder. "I will tell you, but not here."

"Then w-where?"

"After school?"

"Sasuke's helping me out with an essay then," I said reluctantly. I couldn't put _that_ off again.

Naruto rubbed the side of his face thoughtfully. "Okay, what about tonight? I'm looking forward to checking out that night club you told me about yesterday. What was it called?"

"The Th-Theatre."

"Right. We'll meet –"

"How about l-lunchtime?" I interrupted hastily. I couldn't wait until tonight, and besides, there was no guarantee I could get out of the house. My father was strict and my cousin Neji was protective.

Naruto looked uncomfortable. "I've kind of made plans for both lunches. I'm definitely headed to the Theatre tonight. Can it wait till then, please?"

He looked so sad, I had to agree. "Okay, I'll w-wait, Naruto-kun," I said.

He smiled down at me, those brilliant blue eyes not moving from my pale eyes. "Thank you, Hinata-chan."

He leant in and kissed the side of my face, close to my ear, and then pulled away. It was just another reason for my face to turn beet red, and it was still early in the day! I watched Naruto grab his things; he grinned cheekily at me, gave a tentative wave and left. I just hoped that when I took those forms over to my father later, that he's in a good mood, and says I can go out tonight. I wasn't very good at _sneaking_ out.

X X X

**A/N: I didn't get the story going here, this chapter was more of a filler. Chapter 4 will start getting more into it, promise. This one is setting a couple of things in motion first. **

**I've decided to slightly emulate Japanese high school here, but not too much. It's not very obvious yet. Japanese students don't drive cars and they're not normally troublemakers like Naruto or Sasuke. You get the idea.**

**Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews, and you do too! :] **


	4. The Secret Long Forgotten

**A/N: Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out. **

**This is AU of course, and possibly OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum. **

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 4 – The Secret Long Forgotten

I didn't see him again all day. It made me worry that Naruto and I didn't share any classes. I really wanted to sit next to him and smell his scent – he wore cologne, but I wasn't sure which one. It made me happy. Obsessed? Maybe.

Naruto Uzumaki had started as a blonde haired mystery, complete with charm and a sweet sense of humour. He was now a blonde haired, evasive troublemaker with no intention of taking his school work seriously. At least he was still _gorgeous_.

He was the only person who ever commented favourably when I didn't stutter. And of course, he seemed to be the only person that made me confident enough _not_ to always stutter. It was a conundrum.

I went to Homeroom alone, headed to my Social Studies class alone, and then went to Home Economics all by myself. It wasn't until the first lunch bell rang that Sakura and Ino showed their faces again. After that fight this morning, I didn't blame them. It was extremely embarrassing.

They stood at their respective lockers, ignoring each other, but at least they weren't playing tug-of-war with each other's hair. I wasn't sure who to speak to first, not wanting to take sides in this. I stopped short of them, trying to decide.

"Dogs loose in your kennel?" A brusque voice nearby asked.

His name was Kiba Inuzuka. He was a strange one, always making canine related jokes. If it wasn't for the strict school policy, he'd probably bring that puppy of his in every day. We weren't friends, not really. We said hello sometimes when passing each other, or if put together for class related activities, but we never went looking talk to each other or anything of the sort.

"They're n-not happy," I said, miserable.

He nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. You should tell them both to give up on Sasuke. He's not worth it."

I glanced at Kiba, remembering now that he was _very_ anti-Sasuke. "Sasuke is my f-friend too."

"I know. Lighten up Hinata. Later on, Ino and Sakura will be best friends again, you'll see." He grinned at me much like a puppy would slobber on my shoes and moved away.

I knew Kiba was right, but I was still confused about what to do. Neither Sakura nor Ino noticed when I stepped up to my locker and I had to clear my throat a few times to get their attention.

"Oh, Hinata," Sakura said happily. "_There_ you are."

Ino looked up at me, smiled, and then looked away when she noticed that the pinkette had noticed. I sighed. "Why can't you j-just g-get along?"

"If Ino pig would just admit that she doesn't have a chance with Sasuke," Sakura said haughtily, "then _maybe_."

I had decided the moment he said it, _not_ to mention that Sasuke had asked me about Sakura yesterday. Maybe I needed to talk to _him_ instead of his fan club. This rivalry between them had been going on for too long. But what was I supposed to do, tie them up until they agreed to give up on him? The thought of them suddenly deciding not to be friends with each other in order to pursue Sasuke _terrified_ me.

Sometimes, when they argued like they did this morning (minus the physical aspect of the fight), that fear kept me up at night. I've never told them this, and often wondered if it would change anything.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Ino cut me off. "Hinata, I heard from a little birdie that you were snogging some blonde guy this morning. Is it true?"

Sakura grinned at me as I felt my face warm. "Really? Wow, who _is_ this mystery man?"

I mumbled inaudibly and the pinkette rubbed my arm in a comforting way. "Sorry, didn't mean to make you turn inward."

"Come on Hinata," Ino said, ignoring Sakura. "Who is he?"

"Back off _pig_," Sakura raised a fist to the blonde. "She'll tell us when she's good and ready!"

"N-no, it's okay," I said, not wanting my embarrassment to cause them to argue again. "H-his name is N-Naruto Uzumaki. He started h-here today."

"Then where is he?" Ino asked, looking around. "Did he turn into wallpaper?"

I shook my head as Sakura growled at our tactless friend. "He isn't v-very school f-friendly, or s-so I've n-noticed."

Ino looked annoyed, while Sakura giggled. "Just like Sasuke-kun."

I nodded, smiling. "They're f-friends."

"Ooh! Nice!" Sakura was beside herself. "I'm so happy for you!" She winked at me. "Is this Naruto a good kisser?"

I blushed. "W-we didn't k-kiss, Sakura."

"No," Ino said in disbelief, "you just snogged in the hallway."

I shook my head. "He k-kissed my ch-cheek."

Sakura whistled. "A gentleman, _here_? Hinata, get a proper hold on him before someone else does."

I always told my friends when I liked a boy, but the way I answered their questions so blatantly this time was scaring me. Naruto made me feel so much more confident, so maybe just _talking_ about him had a similar effect?

My friends started talking about the new boy and I smiled. They were talking to each other normally now. Their argument this morning seemingly forgotten, they debated the best way to get me off my _buttocks_ and ask Naruto out. When the lunch was over, Ino left us and Sakura accompanied me to our Crafts classroom. We spent the next two lessons (the second was Mathematics), passing notes to each other.

Sakura mentioned to me that she had an art project to finish in the lunch break, and when the bell rang, Ino was nowhere to be found. I sighed. I decided, since I had nothing better to do, to use the second lunch to keep my promise to my mother, and drop off those papers to my father in the Primary Building.

X X X

The Primary Building was not a welcomed sight. Two receptionists in the lobby looked up at me as I entered. The one on the left was civilian; the right one was a ninja. The civilian smiled at me, her eyes as red as her hair colour. She wore brown glasses and the lavender version of the uniforms for the civilian employees here. She was very pretty.

The ninja receptionist had a bored expression on his face. His hair was spiky and dark blue, his eyes dark, and was sporting a small goatee. And okay, he was kind of cute. I didn't know either of their names, and they wore no identification.

I walked up to the civilian receptionist, noting that her smile was forced, but not insincere. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga," I said, "and I'm supposed to bring some papers to my father."

She nodded. "Oh yes, I remember you now. Of course, hang on a moment."

She picked up the phone on her desk and spoke into it. "Hinata Hyuuga, here to see Director Hiashi Hyuuga."

It was all so formal. The Directors of each department within the civilian government were the clan leaders. The members on the main council were made up of old people who had long retired from "active duty" and only came together in session for the more important aspects. Things were otherwise handled by the Hokage Lady Tsunade (the military leader of our village), and Lord Homura our civilian leader – the prefix Jōshi often added honourably to his name.

Technically, the directors were a council in and of their own right.

I waited patiently, but my father did not come out. The female receptionist went to run an errand and, glancing at the ninja to make sure he didn't care what _I_ did, I walked through the double doors that led to the civilian area.

I didn't have time to wait around for my father to _remember_ I was there. It occurred to me that maybe I should've left the papers with the receptionist, but my feet carried me up the long hallway toward the councillor office before I could stop them. I would just be popping my head in for a moment anyway.

I treaded lightly, not sure why a knot was forming in my stomach. Maybe my father would be angry, like the last time I came to this building. Or maybe I was just overreacting, and he would be happy to see me.

'_Not likely.'_

Despite his treatment of his heiress, I loved my father. I just wanted him to be proud of me, even when Neji ran with me the reasons I _should_ hate him. Neji would never tell me to hate him, just _why_ I should. He was my cousin, but like Sasuke, treated me more like a sister. Funny how their personalities were so similar; well except for the fact that Neji was punctual, never did drugs and had a girlfriend, letting _his_ fan club know that stalking him was never going to win him over. Sasuke's indolence when it came to his admirers _bugged_ me.

I sighed inwardly, having reached the door to the council chambers. There were raised voices inside and I hesitated to disturb them. I turned to leave, annoyed with myself that I had not just left the papers with the receptionist. One word stopped me – one _magical_ word.

"Naruto."

That was my father's voice. I fought my desire to listen in. Whatever was happening, it was none of my business. But if Naruto was in there (why, oh _why_ would he be visiting my father?), then maybe I could listen in, and possibly overhear what it was he was keeping from me.

Sometimes I wondered if Sakura was the only one who argued with herself. She had admitted to me once (and denied it heatedly afterwards) that she often talked with herself, _inside_ her head.

"Naruto, stop acting like a child!"

My father's voice drew me back to the door and I peeked, pushing on the swinging doors slightly – enough to look through without drawing attention to myself. I could see Hiashi Hyuuga, looking livid, one of his aides standing nearby, but no Naruto. Was he just talking on the phone? No, my father was looking across the room, half turned away from the door.

"You're the one who lied to the Hokage."

_That _wasNaruto? It was his voice, but I'd never heard anyone speak to my father this way, let alone someone half his age.

"Of course I lied to the Hokage," my father said. "Do you understand what the ninja's would do to you if they found out?"

Was that concern in his voice?

Naruto chuckled. "Yes, in fact I _do_. Don't you remember what happened that night old man? The night I left Konoha?"

My father looked torn. That expression on his face, even only barely visible from my position, was pain and frustration. Was he really so concerned over Naruto? Why would he be this worried for someone who wasn't even a Hyuuga? He didn't even wear that expression for _me_.

"Are you expecting a repeat?" He asked. His voice was softer, his face unreadable.

Naruto took a little longer to answer. "No."

"Then why do you look so worried?"

"Because I'm worried what she'll think of me."

"Who?"

"You know who."

The Hokage? My father had admitted lying to her, and it sounded like he'd done this for Naruto's sake. What the _hell_ was going on?

My father shifted uncomfortably. "Do you really think it's wise to tell her what happened?"

"I trust her."

"You hardly know her."

"Hiashi," Naruto's voice sounded sad, almost like he was pleading.

I heard him shuffling and all of a sudden, I could see him. It was a blurred outline of him as he moved toward the other side of the room. There was a window there, and I spotted the blonde haired boy who always made my heart leap at the sight of him. My father's face was rigid.

Naruto stared out the window as he continued. "Hiashi, it doesn't matter. I have to tell Hinata."

I almost fell over. They were talking about me! I clamped a hand to my mouth to keep from calling out. My heart started to pound and the fear that I might be discovered at any moment never felt more real. But something kept me still, and it was my father's next words that truly shocked me to my core.

"Do you really believe she'll forgive you Naruto? You came back to Konoha again after that night to get answers but ended up causing more problems. Hinata won't understand," he took a deep breath. "After all, you did _kill_ her."

X X X

In a daze, I ransacked my wardrobe for something to wear to the Theatre. I dressed in a dark blue ensemble; my favourite blue/grey hooded jacket, a knee high crepe skirt, and black lace up boots. With only light makeup on to match, I left the Hyuuga compound as planned.

My father had not known I was in the wrong room, overhearing that _disturbing_ conversation. He _had_ however, been glad for the papers I'd left on the receptionist's desk on my hurried exit, and in an unusually good mood, he'd agreed to let me go out. I just had to be back before midnight. Neji was also coming, so this was why I was allowed to play Cinderella.

_He _of course, had smartened up his attire and decided to go to the Theatre because of Tenten, his high school girlfriend. I knew my cousin well enough to know he was intending on giving her his Sekínin Yubíwà_*_ – a ring handed down in Hyuuga tradition for intended nuptials. I silently hoped she accepted it. Those two belonged together.

I forced myself to remain calm as Neji and I approached the Theatre. I had gone over the conversation I'd eavesdropped on in my head like a _hundred_ times before school had even broken out. No _way_ had Naruto _killed_ me. That was ridiculous! I was still here, alive and well. The way my father had spoken to Naruto and the disrespect with which the blonde had spoken back was unnerving enough. This was _not_ happening!

"Are you okay Hinata-chan?" Neji asked, in that smooth, nonchalant voice of his.

I nodded. "J-just nervous."

"Oh, is Naruto going to be here?"

"Y-yes, Neji-kun, h-he is."

Neji smiled at me. "Just be careful Cinderella."

We separated at the entrance, and while Neji went looking for Tenten, my eyes searched half heartedly for Naruto. A part of me was hoping he didn't turn up, but it wasn't the stronger half. Firstly, I spotted Ino in the crowd. She was on the prowl, searching the crowd by pushing through with her hands and feet. It was really a funny sight.

She noticed me and waved me over. I managed to get through the crowd without being stepped on or shoved and as soon as she was in reach, Ino grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward her.

"Have you seen Sasuke?" She asked.

I shook my head. "I j-just got h-here." And hopefully he wasn't coming. "Maybe y-you should search for Sakura instead."

Ino rolled her eyes. "I'm not making out with _her_."

I giggled. "N-no. But y-you know, Sasuke –"

She didn't seem to hear me, interrupting me instead. "Well, you and I can dance until he gets here!"

It was still early. Naruto had seemed excited at the prospect of visiting this night club – he was coming, right? I sighed, and decided to let go and have a little fun as Ino spun me around. The look on her face brought a smile to mine. She was enjoying herself too.

The song ended and Ino moved away – she had spotted Sasuke, who was just then entering the club. Just behind him, a certain blonde had also arrived. Naruto looked amazing, and I was certain he would _smell_ good too. He smiled back at me and I felt my face warm at his attention.

The conversation I had overheard flitted about in my head, but I pushed it away. I wanted to dance with him before he confessed to me. The idea of telling him what I'd overheard was better than hearing it all over again. He'd forgive me if I forgave me, right? After all, this event he and my father had talked about did not sound remotely familiar to me. Maybe they had mistaken me for someone else, back then.

Convincing myself of this weak lie, I let Naruto lead me onto the dance floor. He seemed excited to see me, and did indeed smell _very_ nice. I glanced at Sasuke, who narrowed his eyes at Naruto for a moment before pointedly ignoring the both of us.

I was swept up in the moment, not caring about that disturbing conversation, worried only that maybe I wanted to stay out past midnight, just to spend more time alone with this handsome man.

"You look amazing," Naruto whispered to me and I smiled back at him.

It was when his mouth locked onto mine, and his right hand gently stroked the side of my face that I wondered if I had not just made a huge mistake.

X X X

**A/N: Okay, a little intense, but worth it, right? Things will start to head to the M rated end of the story soon, so please bear with me!**

**Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews, and you do too! :] **

Sekínin Yubíwà_* – literally means "commitment ring" in Japanese._


	5. The Day After

**A/N: Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out. **

**This is AU of course, and possibly OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum. **

**I forgot to mention in the chapter 4 A/N that I didn't want to write the tutoring session between Hinata and Sasuke. Nothing important happened. Sorry if there was any confusion.**

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5 – The Day After

Naruto Uzumaki was a _great_ kisser. I had never kissed a boy before, even last year when that transfer student Haikke had hit on me the one and only night he had visited the Theatre. As a result, I had no previous experience to base this on, but it _felt_ good, so that was what I was focusing on. Haikke was gone, Naruto was here, and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach doing cartwheels, if that was at all possible. I mentally pictured them for a moment, but was too entranced by Naruto to really focus for too long on anything but him. There was nothing in my head, or my heart except the fact that Naruto smelt good, felt good and tasted even better.

My arms went up and rested on his shoulders as we pressed our bodies together. Just the thought of what we might look like to others made my face feel warm. But it didn't matter. _They_ didn't matter. I was lost in this soulful embrace, the teasing of Naruto's tongue as it brushed mine without going overboard. He really knew how to kiss!

We were swaying slowly, our bodies moving, but not fast or purposeful enough to be called dancing. So whatever concern I had had on that first contact was slipping away. I was kissing Naruto back, enjoying his touch, and just going with these light, carefree feelings. Hinata Hyuuga, heiress to the Hyuuga estate, wealth, and influence – I was in love, I had to be.

I sighed into Naruto's mouth and he smiled into mine. As the song ended, he kept me close, but we didn't move off the dance floor. I was having trouble acclimatising, my breath coming out heavy and laboured. Our foreheads touched and Naruto stared into my eyes, clearly just as lost for words. This left me with a strange feeling in my stomach that twisted into a knot when I his body pressed against mine, and the scent of him threatened to overwhelm me. Ino had told me once that the wafted scent of Sasuke when he entered a room turned her on, and this more than anything brought a darker shade of pink to my face.

This meant that Naruto turned me on, right? Oh Kami.

We danced for the rest of the night, and I giggled slightly when Sakura arrived and Sasuke had "magically disappeared", according to Ino. Neji and Tenten were in a dark corner together for what seemed like forever, and as they left the club, I distinctly saw that she was wearing a ring on her engagement finger. Neji hadn't chosen the most romantic place to propose, but it didn't matter. As Tenten had once told me, the idea of all eyes on her waiting for a response while she turned red from the attention made her want hit him over the head instead. In order to spare my cousin as well as Tenten, I had told Neji this.

I sighed, and leant against Naruto's chest. Images of myself in the situation Tenten feared made me equally embarrassed. I suppose romantic fantasies took different forms for most people.

"Let's get you home," Naruto said, after we had been talking for over an hour about minutia.

Small talk, like we both enjoyed a good book more than following the noisy crowd into an even noisier cinema. Naruto and I also both disliked Sasuke's "extracurricular activities", though the blonde knucklehead admitted to having done drugs before and despite the age restriction, he loved getting hammered.

Really, this was no surprise to me.

So, as Naruto walked me home, I just had to ask. "Have y-you had anything t-tonight?"

"Alcohol? Nah, that's no way to win you over."

I felt my face warm. I had to get these reactions under control.

Naruto started to swing my arm slightly. "I get hammered with mates, and when I'm depressed."

"Y-you get depressed?" This didn't sound like him.

He shrugged. "Everyone gets depressed. If it hadn't been for these years of talking with teme, I'd have gone off the deep end a long time ago."

Teme? Right, Sasuke. I don't think I'd be very good at long distance friendships. But with all the technology these days advancing, I suppose it would get easier and easier.

"And of course," Naruto said, stopping as we neared the Hyuuga compound. "I never forgot about _you_."

X X X

Much happier than I had been yesterday, I went to school half skipping. My father did not say anything to me, but a part of me knew that he knew that I had been with Naruto last night. That conversation between the head of the Hyuuga clan and Naruto Uzumaki flitted about in my head, but I pushed it away. What did it matter what they thought happened? I was in love with Naruto, this much I had realised for sure last night while dancing with him and _that_ was all that mattered, right?

After Homeroom was my Physical Education class. The teacher, Maito Gai, was an odd ball, and had us running laps while he spouted slogans and did everything humanly possible to motivate us. This was the only class I shared with both Ino and Sakura, and as we ran alongside each other, I listened to their bickering over Sasuke, remembering my promise to myself to talk to him about them. He wasn't looking to tear their friendship apart, as far as I could tell. Though I knew that he was capable of it, having slept with some girl called Shinari last month just to make her best friend jealous and have them fight over him. He did that when he got bored.

If he did something like that to Sakura and Ino, it would probably piss me off enough not to speak to him ever again, well, maybe just for awhile. I seemed to forgive him too quickly his transgressions, which was another thing that bothered me.

When the bell went off, Sakura, Ino, and I went our separate ways. I dawdled deliberately past the next bell and several minutes into the next lesson, knowing that a certain Uchiha always wagged his Moral Studies class (the teacher, Kakashi Hatake was the last person in a position to lecture anyone on morals, with _his_ well documented "past-times" – Sasuke's words, not mine).

Grateful to be out of class, I stopped by my locker, relieved that there weren't many people here. Sasuke came up to me in the locker hallway, glanced around to make sure no-one else was listening in (only possible because his fan club was absent), and leant against Sakura's locker, next to me as I rifled through my own.

"How did it go last night?" He asked.

I could tell from his tone, because his face was impassive, that he was itching to tell me something. Whether or not it had anything to do with Naruto was still on the table, but Sasuke's disapproval of my "relationship" with his blonde haired friend was obvious.

"Y-you were there," I said nonchalantly. "Nothing h-happened."

"Nothing happened at the club," Sasuke corrected me. "What about after?"

"Are y-you turning into a g-girl, Sasuke-kun?" I asked teasingly.

He rolled his eyes at me. "As if; I just want to make sure he didn't take advantage of you."

I nodded my head. "I know. I'm s-sorry."

Sasuke didn't smile or accept the apology. He just kept staring. For a moment, I wasn't sure if he was going to cuss or slink away. Eventually deciding, he spoke in an undertone instead. "Answer my question Hyuuga heiress. Did anything happen between you two after you left the club last night?"

I shook my head. "He w-walked me h-home, that's all."

He visibly relaxed.

I giggled at him. "You h-have _me_ worried now, S-Sasuke."

"And why is that?"

"You're acting l-like Neji."

Sasuke stared at me, annoyed, but conveying it subtly. Despite their similarities, they did _not_ get along. But when it came to me, they did indeed differ slightly. Sasuke was protective of me, but not domineering, and Neji was overprotective, with that black mark on his name last year when he attacked that transfer student, Haikke for coming onto me while drunk. He didn't seem so violently inclined toward Naruto though, while Sasuke on the other hand, did _not_ approve of Naruto. It made me wonder what their friendship was really like. It was a weird one, and reminded me of the one Sakura and Ino had.

'_Hopefully Sasuke and Naruto won't be __attacking__ each other anytime soon,' _I thought, uncertain.

Sasuke growled. "Don't compare me to that baka," he warned.

I closed my locker and leant against it to face him properly. "I n-need to ask you something s-seriously, Sasuke-kun."

"Is is about Naruto?"

I shook my head. "It's about Sakura and Ino, a-actually."

He lost his gruff demeanour. "Your friends?"

"Yes."

"Shoot."

"They b-both have the h-hots for you," I said, and he didn't respond, waiting patiently for my question. "It's going to r-rip their friendship apart. I wanted to ask if you'd do something f-for m-me."

Sasuke stared at me with an expression half way between exhaustion and indifference. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath. "Ask s-someone out, someone other than them. Y-you asked me about S-Sakura, but p-please, their friendship is s-so important."

It was difficult for me to ask this of him, he could see that, judging by the newly formed concerned look on his face. I rarely asked him for favours, and _never_ about his fan girls. I just hoped this impressed upon him how serious I was about this.

He sighed. "And what if I don't want a girlfriend?"

"You j-just want to sleep around f-for the rest of y-your life?"

He nodded. "What else is there but sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll?"

I blushed and he smiled. "There's f-friendship," I stuttered.

Sasuke nodded. "There's that."

"And alcohol," I added as an afterthought, thinking about the things Sasuke valued.

"How could I forget?" He said, slightly cheeky.

I chuckled. Sasuke sighed. "I could bring a girl with me to the Theatre tonight, or on Friday. But everyone knows I don't date, so asking someone out would be downright _weird_."

"I s-suppose you're r-right."

"Cheer up," Sasuke said, standing straight. "Only a couple more lessons until the end of the school day."

"By y-your schedule," I reminded him.

He started to back away. "Tell Naruto I'll give his book back tomorrow."

He left and I frowned; what book? Despite being a genius, he barely cared to read even the school text books.

X X X

With another day of school over, I lagged around, waiting for Naruto. He had promised me during our Information Technology class that we would continue the conversation we started last night. I was looking forward to some time alone with him. Somehow, walking with him last night, in the dark and on my home had left me wanting. This time however, I felt like I was going to get some actual answers from him.

Naruto was on time for once, and fixed me with his cheeky grin to make me smile.

"That's better Hinata-chan. Let's go for a walk okay?"

I nodded, and let him lead me out of school grounds by my hand. People turned to watch us as we left and I wondered just _how_ popular Naruto was now. I didn't get caught up in the gossip of Konohamaru High, so whatever whisperings had developed from Naruto's personality, good looks or the fact that he was friends with the _overly_ popular Sasuke Uchiha, I had not heard.

I made a mental note to ask either Sakura or Ino the next time I saw one of them.

We walked for a while, not heading anywhere in particular, and after Naruto had started talking about the weather (was he nervous around me?), I decided to bring up the topic of conversation I _really_ wanted to talk about.

"I overheard y-you," I said, nervous. The idea that this confession might annoy him kept me from looking into Naruto's eyes directly. I lowered my head slightly.

"When?"

"Yesterday, in the Primary Building, and in m-my f-father's office."

He stared at the ground as we stopped walking; he was still holding my hand. "You heard all that?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry. I w-wasn't trying to eavesdrop, b-but I was there to deliver papers to m-my father and heard the c-conversation accidentally. I should have left straight away; I'm so s-sorry."

"How much did you hear?"

So I recounted it to Naruto. My father, Hiashi Hyuuga had lied to the Hokage about _something_, in order to protect Naruto, and for some reason they both thought that years ago, Naruto had _killed_ me. I felt ridiculous, putting _that_ into words, and once I stopped talking, Naruto half turned away from me, staring up at the clearly visible Primary Building in the distance. He squeezed my hand slightly, like he was afraid I was going to let go.

Didn't he realise I didn't believe he had done the things my father had accused him of?

Naruto didn't seem to want to allay my concerns, or confirm them, and I waited patiently for him to say _something _at least. Last night, we had kissed for the first time, and on the way home, I never gave any hint to what I'd overheard. Perhaps this was what was on his mind, the fact that I had waited this long to tell him. But he hadn't seen fit to inform me of his secret, so I didn't feel guilty. Still, he had told my father that he intended to tell me, which meant that Hiashi Hyuuga did not want me knowing that they believed Naruto had killed me. Again, I wondered who Naruto was to my father.

Looking directly at the side profile of Naruto Uzumaki, I decided to break the ice.

"Naruto, are y-you okay?"

He turned to face me, smiling broadly. "I'm _fine_, Hinata-chan."

I smiled. "Okay, N-Naruto-kun."

He smirked at my suffix usage. "So, I suppose you want an explanation?"

I nodded, my heart starting to pound. He squeezed my hand again, this time more gently. "Not here. Let's head back to my place."

I blushed when he winked. "Are y-you sure that's w-wise?"

"I'll behave, I promise."

I giggled. "Okay."

We walked in silence again. It was nice just to hold his hand and take in the sights of the houses and small restaurants we passed on the way to Naruto's apartment. Once we came to his building and climbed the stairs to his door, I had a sudden thought.

"Are your parents h-home?"

He shook his head, but didn't say anything, at least, about that. "Come in, make yourself at home."

The apartment was small, and I instantly spotted the two doors that more than likely led to bedrooms, along with the archway entry to the kitchen/dining room and another hallway out of this main room that I guessed led to the bathroom. It was cosy, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with the _scent_ of Naruto. It looked and _felt_ like it belonged solely to him. So where were the pictures of him and his parents?

This was nothing like the Hyuuga compound, not that I was surprised, or spoilt by the size of my family's living environment. Often, I had visited Sakura and Ino's houses, and they were not rich. Yes, their lives were comfortable enough, but Ino's family lived above their flower shop and Sakura's home was a two storey unit crammed between identical houses. I had mistakenly referred to their homes as villas once and infuriated them.

Okay, so the Hyuuga compound _had_ spoiled me, in that respect.

I sat on the living room sofa, not wanting to be one of those people who perused other people's homes and rummaged through their refrigerators. Naruto offered me a drink and, sitting next to him and sipping the hot cocoa minutes later, I glanced around the room again. He watched me intently and I blushed.

"I guess I should explain what you heard," he said seriously, and took a deep breath. "Where should I start…?"

"The b-beginning?" I asked innocently, smiling in the cheeky way he always did.

Naruto chuckled. "True. Okay, I'm adopted."

I felt my jaw drop slightly. "R-really? When did y-you f-find out?"

"The night I left Konoha," he said. "I was five. I ran away and my adoptive parents tracked me down, in Tokyo."

"You g-got there all by y-yourself?"

"Believe it," he said cheekily, "I can handle myself."

"You w-were just f-five years old."

H shrugged. "I'm tough."

"Okay." I thought about that. "What does this h-have to do w-with what I overheard?"

"Right." He cleared his throat. "My parents decided to stay in Tokyo. I didn't know then, but they knew who my parents were, and that my birth father was a ninja."

This was crazy, but I nodded silently, without interrupting as he continued.

"My mother was Kushina, my father, Minato Namikaze."

"Minato… that name is f-familiar."

Naruto smiled slightly at me and I realised I must have been staring at him. "He was the apprentice to the third Hokage," he said. "The ninja found out who I was and attacked me, which is another reason I had left."

"They j-just attacked you, with no w-warning?"

"They claimed after that that it was just a misunderstanding." He looked furious. "That was why my adoptive parents stayed away from Konoha when they found me, to protect me."

I inhaled deeply. Okay, so this was getting intense. But when had he supposedly _killed_ me?

'_Crazy thoughts go away!'_

I didn't want to know, not really, but none of this made sense. "Why did you c-come b-back?"

"Which time?"

I lowered my eyes to look into my hot drink, which was now more warm than anything. "The f-first time."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably and stayed silent for awhile. But when I wouldn't let him change the subject, he relented.

"It was six years later, and I'd found some letters my mother had written to me before I was born. I came back looking for answers. My father hadn't wanted the ninja life for me, but my mother believed I deserved to decide for myself. So I came to see Hiashi Hyuuga, the person mentioned in my mother's letters that would be able to tell me who I was."

I smiled sadly at him. "So that's h-how you know my f-father?"

Naruto nodded, smiling sadly back at me. "He was my birth mother's best friend."

X X X

**A/N: Sorry if Naruto seems OOC in this last scene. This is an uncomfortable conversation for him, as you can imagine. **

**Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews, and you do too! :] **


	6. The Bonds of Friendship

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I haven't been in my NaruHina headspace lately. It's incredibly frustrating. But finally, it's here, despite my reservations.**

**Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out. **

**This is AU of course, and possibly OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum. **

**More apologies: I'm not actually bagging on anyone, but someone has to be an antagonist! ;)**

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 6 – The Bonds of Friendship

"He was my birth mother's best friend."

I lowered my eyes to my hands. Sitting next to Naruto on his living room sofa and still holding the hot cocoa drink in my hands, I had just started to learn more about him, and his past. At least this latest revelation explained why my father had seemed so concerned for Naruto when I had overheard them in the Primary Building yesterday. I would never have guessed that he was adopted, and that his real mother had known my father. He had even ignored Naruto's disrespectful tone during their conversation, which Hiashi Hyuuga never did for _anyone_. It still left questions though, like just _how_ close was this Kushina to my father before she died?

I looked up at him as Naruto sighed and leant backward into the lounge chair. He grinned at me and I smiled back.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah Hinata-chan?"

"Can I ask you s-something?"

He nodded.

"It might be too p-personal," I said warningly.

Naruto took the hot drink out of my hands, placed it on the coffee table and scooted closer to me; his hands clasped mine. "It's why you're here after all."

I couldn't stop the blush along my skin. "Okay. I was just w-wondering, what my father told y-you when you came looking for answers."

'_And why you think you killed me?'_

Naruto smiled. "He told me that my grandparents were cousins of the first and second Hokage. They lost contact with Hashirama and Tobirama Senju when they moved out of the country and then my mother came to Konoha when she was a teenager. They were never ninja and so my mother never learnt, but she knew a lot about the ninja way of life. She and your father became best friends as soon as they met, kind of like kindred spirits."

"Does the Hokage know you're her f-family?" I asked, shocked.

He shrugged. "Don't know. Don't really care."

I was surprised. "Really? If it were me, I'd want to know everything about the p-people who are my f-family."

Naruto laughed softly. "That's what I love about you Hinata-chan, so very kind-hearted."

'_Love?'_

My head was spinning. He said love! I felt so faint and started to sway.

"Hinata, what's wrong?"

He was so cute, changing his face from the cheeky grin of the school rebel to concerned and frantic at the same time.

"Nothing," I said. "I just feel a little faint, th-that's all."

"I didn't realise the story of my tragic past was so exhausting," he said cheekily, making me smile. "Do that again."

"What?"

"Smile."

Kami was looking down on me at that moment, I was sure of it. Naruto waited for a moment as I smiled again, and leant in to kiss me. He pressed his lips to mine, holding onto my school blazer with one hand, the other hooked around, behind my neck. I clasped my fingers together, tightly around his waist, pulling him to me and we both rose to our knees on the couch. I had intended the movement into Naruto to deepen the kiss. His tongue played along my lips, asking for permission and I opened my mouth to him.

I didn't care anymore. He wasn't hiding some dark secret, and hadn't come back to Konoha to impart this to me. There was also no need for him to explain why he believed I had died. The part of me that was desperate to know kept quiet as I just embraced the moment. I didn't want this to end.

Naruto lowered his hands to my midsection, nudged me gently and pushed me onto my back. He lowered himself onto my body, and I lifted my hands to clutch at his hair and the back of his neck. My skirt slid as he moved slightly above me, but I shifted slightly to stop it from sliding upward as Naruto seemed concerned more with the kiss than anything else.

He could easily part my knees and slide between by legs, but Sakura had been right about him being a gentleman. With my arms up and over his shoulders, my legs stayed together as Naruto leant into me, deepening the already sensual kiss. It was making me hot and bothered, the way his tongue teased mine, tasting, probing, and smothering in turn.

I wanted him to start pulling my blazer off, lifting my school shirt over my head and moving his hands up, along my bare chest. But he didn't shift from his position. I wasn't sure how far I was willing to go, but knew that I at least wanted to feel his hands on me.

"Naruto-kun," I murmured into his mouth, and a moment later, realising I had spoken, he stopped.

We were both breathless, and he looked uncertain. "Hinata?"

"Naruto," I said. "We don't have to just k-kiss, if you don't w-want to."

He smiled cheekily down at me. "Hinata-chan, are you trying to seduce me?"

I giggled. "M-maybe."

"I never knew you were so feisty." He looked impressed and kissed me swiftly. "And just what exactly did you have in mind?"

I felt my face warm. What did he expect me to say? "W-well, m-maybe, Naruto-kun –"

He leant in and pressed his lips against mine. "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. But I like this."

He continued to press into me, the contours of his body imprinting onto mine. Okay, so this was enough for now. We had plenty of time.

X X X

Everything was turning upside down. I had slept in, dreaming intensely about the conversation I had had with Naruto yesterday afternoon, not to mention the "session" on his couch. I was also late to school, so I'd missed Homeroom, but that was nothing compared to what was waiting for me. I arrived a few minutes after the bell that ended Homeroom. At my locker, I realised something; a few _disturbing_ somethings, actually.

Kiba Inuzuka, that weird guy with a fetish for jokes that were canine related, gave me the gist of it. He wasn't very well informed, considering people tended to avoid him, but at least, on this account, he knew more than I did.

Apparently, Sakura and Ino weren't talking (again), Sasuke had ignored my request and kissed Sakura in front of the whole school just to rile them up, and now none of them were talking to _me_! In fact, looking back at it, from the moment I walked into school, people had been staring at me and whispering behind their hands to each other. Kiba looked sympathetic, but scampered away when he started to receive glares for talking to me.

I went red from the attention and hurriedly emptied the contents of my locker into my shoulder bag and left the hallway, confused and embarrassed. What the _hell_ was going on? I sped past snickering students and furious faces, on my way to my Arts class. Ino would be in there, and I _needed_ to know what was going on. She was the gossip queen after all. Darting down the next corridor, I suddenly screeched to a halt. Perhaps I didn't need to wait to hear the story surrounding my new found infamy after all.

Sakura looked furious as she stalked toward me. Her eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets and she clenched her fists, looking like an angry rhino with pink hair.

"Sasuke-kun told me what you said," she growled. "How you tried to stop him from asking me out. And that you think you have the right to decide who he dates."

She spoke with barely contained fury, looking ready to pummel me unless I grovelled at her feet. Okay, so this explained her anger and Sasuke's popularity explained away why so many people were sneering at me as Sakura waited for some explanation that would appease her. But it didn't make sense. What was Sasuke _doing_? If I could believe Sakura, he was acting like the fan girls he always made jokes with me about behind their backs.

'_Oh, but __that__ should've been my first hint that he was no better,' _I thought angrily.

I was worried about who he was turning into, but more angry than anything right now. And a little scared. Sakura was a very intimidating person. I held my bag tighter in my hands and looked her in the eye nonetheless.

"I'm sorry Sakura, b-but Sasuke is only trying to r-rile you up. H-he doesn't c-care about you."

She glared at me. "And I suppose you're going to tell me he only cares about _you_?"

I sighed deeply, but pushed the anger I was feeling into my voice. It did wonders for keeping my stuttering in check. "No. I don't know what's gong through his head. But I'm his friend, nothing more. Nor do I want to be anything more than that."

She continued to glower at me. "I see. So you're calling him a liar?"

It was typical combat Sakura; she was always the type to choose a guy who clearly doesn't care about her, over keeping a friendship. I still don't understand how she had lasted _this_ long with Ino. I shook my head softly. Was there anything I could say that wouldn't make her fly off the handle? Everything I _did_ say was being thrown back in my face. But keeping silent was potentially fatal. She had a temper, violent tendencies and an unwavering devotion to Sasuke Uchiha. These were dangerous combinations.

"Sakura, one of these d-days, you're going to l-look back at this moment and realise I'm not the one trying to hurt you." I took a deep breath as this seemed to soften her slightly. "I'm s-sorry you can't s-see that I'm happy with Naruto. I can't b-believe you would th-think I l-like Sasuke that w-way."

Perhaps _I_ needed to be the one to walk away. Sakura had walked away from Ino once, before either of them had met Sasuke, and gone back to her once she'd calmed down. And it didn't look like she was going to see sense on this one. It would be incredibly lonely, not talking to either Ino or Sakura anymore, but if they were going to get this angry with me over something Sasuke said then it was in _my_ best interest to get out of the firing line.

'_At least I still have Naruto.'_

And that was another thing. Sakura knew I had been spending time with Naruto. She _knew_ how I feel about him, I had just _told_ her this, again after all. So _why_ would I suddenly turn around and start treating Sasuke like he was my _boyfriend_? The fury must have registered on my face more than I realised, because Sakura lost her softened expression.

"And exactly why are _you_ so angry?" She asked. "I've been a good friend to you, helping you when Ino pig wouldn't stop being a pig to you and never tried to stop you from finding happiness. Sasuke-kun kissed _me_ Hinata, not _you_!"

The slap was a surprise. The sting made my eyes water and I felt like hitting her back. The anger inside me was even scarier than Sakura at that moment. I took a step back and readied myself in case she tried again. Naruto's father might have been the ninja, but _my_ father had taught Hanabi and me how to fight anyway. Ninja weren't the only ones who were allowed to defend themselves. Still, I wasn't going to initiate it. She got this first slap free, considering I was stupid enough to believe she wouldn't hurt me, and let down my guard.

Sakura didn't seem to notice I was readying to defend myself and sneered at me. Who was this friend of mine, that she would do this to me? It wasn't only the slap that had hurt, but the reason behind it. She had been right though – Sakura had always been a good friend to me. But when her undying devotion to Sasuke was threatened in any way, her hackles went up.

"Let that be a lesson," she said, pointing her forefinger at me, like some spoilt, rich bitch. "Stay away from Sasuke-kun from now on, or there'll be _hell_ to pay."

She spun on her heels and strode away.

X X X

I left school after the final bell for the day, fighting the tears and glad to be free of the evil glares. They didn't know what they were talking about! None of them even _knew_ Sasuke. He wasn't just some rich Uchiha – he was a rich Uchiha with the same attitude as his father. I always knew this. Somewhere deep inside I always knew he would do this one day. But for some reason, I had fooled myself into believing he wasn't anything like Fugaku Uchiha. The wife of the Uchiha clan leader Mikoto, had such serenity to her, and because she was such good friends with my mother, Hanari Hyuuga, I got to know her very well over the years.

Mikoto's distaste for violence had been passed on to Itachi, and her love for gardening had rubbed off on Sasuke; you wouldn't know it, the way he acted. I had held onto the ideal that Sasuke was enough like his mother that his father's influence wouldn't turn him into a _complete_ jerk.

How wrong I was.

And of course, Ino had ignored me all day, just like Sakura, but at least the blonde gossip hadn't _attacked_ me. Sasuke and Naruto _both_ were absent, but Kiba had approached me again later to tell me that he had been here in the morning. Of course, that was when he'd kissed Sakura. Then he had seemingly disappeared for the rest of the day. My life was _hell_, pure and simple. There was nothing good in it, except for Naruto. I wondered if he would come with me if I ran away from Konoha, like he had done all those years ago.

'_Why had Sasuke done this, and why __now__ all of a sudden?' _I didn't understand.

I stopped walking, realising I was alone. The streets of Konoha were deserted. What the _hell_?

The air felt weird too, like it was heavier and slightly stale. I was sick of this. It seemed _everyone_ had a secret, and I was the only one who knew nothing about _anything_. I should've kept probing Naruto yesterday when I realised there was more to his story. It was pissing me off, to say the least, and as I looked around for a shop or home that wasn't closed or empty, I felt alone.

Scratch that.

"H-hello?"

There was someone nearby. This person, whoever they were, was very good at hiding. I didn't understand how I knew they were there, feeling my eyes burn as if they were warning me of the imminent danger. A dark shadow passed over the area, like a thick, heavy cloud miles above my head and my first thought was that I was being stalked by a ninja.

Sure enough, the sound of movement behind me took me so completely by surprise that I didn't realise at first that this person was standing an inch from my back. Terrified, I fought my desire to turn around and look up into the face of this shadow. I trembled, and decided to give in. But I had barely moved an inch when they grabbed me, pulling me toward them, against the front of their body. Their hands held like iron to my elbows as I called out in fear. The ninjas were scarier than any fight I had had with Sakura or would soon be having with Sasuke.

'_If I live that long.'_

I remembered that Naruto had told me he had been attacked by ninja when he was only five. Only now did I question _how_ he had gotten away. I struggled against my captor; the sounds I was making would draw someone's attention, right? But this person, male I would guess, hadn't bothered to cover my mouth. The weight of the air and the soft, warm breath of my attacker were having a strange effect on me. I fell silent, although every fibre in my being was creaming. What was he doing to me?

The panic in my mind reached fevering pitch as I felt something sharp on my arm. It pierced my skin, letting the blood trickle over my arm. What was this, some kind of jutsu? I didn't know anything about chakra control or how it was used, but my mother had let me read a document my father had written in his civilian duties about the different types of jutsus. There was taijutsu, genjutsu and… I couldn't remember anymore. My throat felt like it was being suffocated.

The warm breath of the ninja holding my entirely still and helpless brushed my right ear. He whispered into my ear, his voice deep, husky and unrecognisable. This _had_ to be some kind of genjutsu, right?

"_Remember_."

The single word echoed in my head, like an alarm clock waking me up in the morning after a hang over. Not that I ever touched alcohol. Okay, it felt like a reverberating migraine. The sound made me nauseous and I felt like throwing up. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and then suddenly the ninja seemed to just disappear. But I hadn't felt him actually let go.

My vision went black for a moment and then a bright light blinded me.

"Papa!"

The childlike voice startled me and I looked up, realising I was in the Hyuuga compound. But it was different somehow. There were different floral arrangements and I could see the koi pond had no water in it, like someone or something had drained it. The lights around me were soft, and artificial. The sun had long gone down, and the sky was alight with stars. I shivered. A cool breeze indicated that it was winter, but looking around at the trees, it was clearly Autumn. Some leaves were already brown, while others were gone entirely. This wasn't right. This wasn't my present.

The ninja had said to remember.

I looked around again. This was the past… Crazy had left the building. I had no idea that ninja were this powerful. It made my fear for them even more real. This was my memory, right?

"Papa!"

There was that voice again. It was oddly familiar. Yes, I _know_ I'm in the Hyuuga compound.

"Hinata, come back here!"

A small version of myself ran past me. She, or rather _I_, looked around ten years old. The second voice belonged to my father. Since when did I call him papa? The appropriate title was "father", or to add the suffix San to the end of his name. Hiashi Hyuuga walked past me as if I wasn't here, as well.

"Hinata-hime, behave yourself," he said, a little strained. "We have guests."

Hime? He used to call me his "princess"? This was too unreal.

"Papa, look what I can do!"

And where was my stutter? I couldn't remember a time I hadn't been shy or awkward.

I tore my eyes away from my father's smiling face, stunned by what was unravelling before me and gaped at my younger self. She was standing in a strange position, her legs parted in a stance I had learnt to use for mediation while strengthening the body. Standing still while meditating took more skill than simply finding a comfortable position.

Of course, this wasn't what had shocked me. Her hands were out in front of her, her fingers intertwined and her face screwed up in strained concentration. My father chuckled.

"You can't use your chakra yet, little princess," he said. "Remember what I told you?"

My smaller self nodded reluctantly and spoke politely, "yes father."

"Hiashi!" My mother came running into the yard behind our home, looking stressed. "He's here."

"Take the guests into the sitting room and show him out here," Hiashi lost his smile. "Hinata-hime, father has something important to do. Go play with Hanabi, okay."

"Babies are boring!"

I smiled at her and blinked heavily. My vision darkened again and I found myself inside my home, standing next to myself. She was crouched down, wearing the exact same formal outfit she had had on a moment ago, so this was definitely the same night. My younger self was peeking out the bamboo partition that was a sliding door leading to the back yard of this home. She looked scared, so I moved behind her and peered through the gap she had made with the door.

I felt again as I had the last time I overheard my father speaking with Naruto Uzumaki. I was eavesdropping again. A younger Naruto and my father were in the yard, standing closer to the koi pond than to the house, their voices nothing but indistinct sounds on the wind. I tried to push the door open, to get closer, but as my hand ran over the bamboo door, my skin started to sting. It seemed I truly was limited to my own memory.

'_A memory I don't remember having.'_

Was this what Naruto had been talking about?

His conversation with my father was becoming heated. Their voices rose and I started to catch some snippets of their argument.

"Stubborn… stop telling me… they won't know… I don't care… I deserve to know… I'm warning you… they deserve it… Hokage… they have no idea what I… _fuck you_ Hiashi…"

The younger me gasped and I shook my head at Naruto's language. He was becoming more irate every second and by the looks of it, my father was trying to calm him down. Naruto's body started to glow. It wasn't like a light bulb, more like a soft blue colour that extended out from his body.

It had to be chakra. No other explanation.

My younger self gasped again, and my father reached a hand toward Naruto, who backed away, almost like a frightened animal. In the next few seconds, several things happened. A scream I couldn't identify sounded like it was coming from all around me. My younger self threw open the bamboo door and was pelting toward my father. I chased after her, my eyes on Naruto as he attacked Hiashi Hyuuga. We were the same age, with similar heights, and nowhere near as tall as the leader of the Hyuuga clan. But he looked terrified at Naruto's sudden attack. Like the younger of the two was some kind of giant.

I have never seen anyone as angry as Naruto was right now. The blue of his chakra flickered, tinting and looking slightly red.

"Papa!"

The tinted chakra hit the air, not focused on anything, like he had no control, but was fighting against its hold on him. My father managed to move out of the way, but noticed too late that there was a third person in the vicinity. Her long dark blue hair trailed behind her and her crying drew Naruto's attention. His eyes went wide in fear and shock. The chakra slammed into her and I froze, my body shuddering from the electrical shock.

My eyes glazed over and blood trickled down, over my forehead. The pain rippled silently through my body, my frail, ten year old body. I remembered now. I remembered what it was like to die. Strong arms grabbed me from behind, and my ninja shadow pulled me out of the memory.

I blacked out.

X X X

**A/N: Everything's happening so quickly! Aahh!**

**This chapter was longer than expected, so the next one might be a bit shorter.**

**I'm debating on whether to put actual lemon in this story. The M rating was initially for some darker twists I'm intending, starting next chapter. I would love to hear what you guys want... pretty please? *bats eyelashes* I'd offer virtual cookies, but I'd probably eat them myself, Lol.**

**Theories? Questions? Comments? Complaints? (No flaming!)**

**Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews. They inspire me to write faster! ;)**


	7. The Stolen Memories

**A/N: Okay, that's it dammit! This Naruto is much smarter than in the canon! I wasn't going to do this so strongly, but it's important for the story. Sorry. I'll keep him as close to it as I can though. He has a lot of "issues" anyway.**

**Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out.  
>This is AU of course, and possibly OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum.<br>**

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 7 – The Stolen Memories

I was back in the garden, with the empty koi pond and autumn breeze. An angry Naruto Uzumaki turned on me, his eyes full of anger and hate. Then his power, a strange chakra, hit me. The pain shocked my body, like I had been hit by lightning, and blood obscured my vision. The expression on Naruto's face changed and he was terrified at what he had just done. I wasn't completely unconscious, and could hear my father's cries. He really was distraught over _me_. Then strong arms were lifting my head off of the ground and I could hear my heartbeat in my head. It started to slow, until finally it softened weakly and stopped altogether. Blackness engulfed me and for a moment, I was apart from myself, like this was just some crazy, horrific dream.

Hiashi Hyuuga's face swam into view as my eyes flickered open again. I was still on my back, staring up at the stars and I shivered, the cool air tickling me. Then Naruto was there, sitting on the ground only half a foot away from me. He looked exhausted, as though he had just run a marathon, but realising I was awake he lifted his head and smiled slightly.

"She's completely healed," a voice that I knew belonged to one of my father's aides said. "Amazing."

"That's Naruto's kekkai genkai for you," Hiashi said dismissively. "Tell the guests I need to attend to a family crisis and I regrettably need to cut this meeting short. See them to the door personally, and then check our spies to make sure there are no ninja in the area."

"Yes sir." The aide left.

"Mataro," my father said to another aide. "Send a request to Fugaku Uchiha to come here as soon as possible."

"Are you sure that is wise sir?"

"Yes. I need his assistance."

"He won't come," my mother said, as the second aide dutifully left.

I only just realised she was the one actually holding me, my head in her lap. I shifted in my position, but despite my healed wounds, the pain would not go away. Naruto came up to me quickly. For someone who had just stopped my heartbeat, burned my skin like a lightning strike, and then started my heart again and healed my wounds, his presence was sending an _indescribable_ warmth through my body. My parents did not flinch at him, as though they too thought highly of this blonde. He was so familiar to me, like we had once known each other very well.

"Don't try to move," he said. "I've healed you, but the internal injuries will take longer. Don't worry," he added when the shock twisted my features, "you're going to be just fine."

His tone was regretful, his face smiling sadly. I knew he hadn't liked what he did to me. My parents did not respond to his revelation, but my mother hugged me tightly nonetheless.

"He'll come," Hiashi said. "He'll wrangle what's going on out of Mataro first, but he'll come."

My mother sniffled. "I do not trust that man."

"You didn't trust _me_ when we first met."

She giggled softly, despite the situation. "And you changed my mind."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I don't need to know this."

"N-Naruto?" I stuttered, for the first time in my life. They were all surprised by the weakness in my voice.

He nodded. "It's okay Hinata-chan."

I nodded and blacked out. When I finally woke up, I realised I was lying in a hospital bed, staring up at the blank ceiling.

"Hmm… Mmm."

"Hinata! Nurse!" That was Naruto.

He had been sitting in the chair next to my bed and as he moved to sit next to me on the bed, I realised with a shock that he wasn't ten years old anymore. Right, that was just a dream. But it _felt_ real, just like the memory thrust upon me by that ninja. Was that just some kind of bleed through effect of how that Shinobi had made me remember in the first place? It made a twisted kind of sense.

'_Strange thoughts.'_

Naruto took my hand and a nurse entered the room. She checked my vitals and squeezed my other hand.

"You've recovered nicely," she said happily. "Good to see you awake Hinata Hyuuga. Your friend here can fill you in on the details, I'll be back shortly with the doctor."

Once she had left, I sat up weakly, pushing myself up as I trembled.

"You're still weak," Naruto insisted. "Save your strength."

I swallowed heavily. "N-Naruto, I…" I cleared my throat. "I was attacked b-by a n-ninja."

He tensed suddenly, staring into my eyes. His voice came out composed and calculated. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "He was using some strange jutsu that made me remember that night when you came back to Konoha to speak with my father six years ago."

Naruto licked his lips and shivered involuntarily. He seemed to be weighing his words carefully. "Tell me what you saw."

I was a little taken back by his tone, but told him what I'd seen, then the dream after I'd blacked out that seemed to be the aftermath. When I was done, he looked away from me, out to the window, but his thumb started stroking my hand. It was dark out, and the clock by my bedside table said it was after midnight. It was definitely past visiting hours, but for some reason, the nurse had not kicked Naruto out of my room.

I was surprised at my nonchalant reaction to this memory, and the fact that Naruto had indeed _killed_ me. So much had happened over the last few days, and it had happened so fast! But I couldn't bring myself to hate Naruto, not even slightly. He had stopped my heart, but who other than him could ever get it started again?

I blushed at my thoughts. Still, I was uncertain what was going to happen now, and how I _truly_ felt about all of this. And then there was my mysterious attacker. What had he been trying to prove? I already knew what Naruto had said happened, but I suppose hearing about it and actually experiencing it were two _very_ different things. Was that Shinobi trying to make me hate Naruto, or perhaps my father?

"N-Naruto?" I stammered, and startled, he turned to look at me.

"Sorry Hinata-chan, I guess my thoughts got away from me." He smiled sadly at me. "Do you hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?"

He lost his smile, now looking more pained. His voice came out weakly. "Because I _killed_ you, that's why."

He was so tormented over this, so distraught, that I couldn't help myself. I reached out to his face, snaked my hand behind his head and pulled him down into my mouth. The kiss surprised him, but he returned the fervour, releasing his hold on my other hand and leaning further down into me, so that I was now lying on my back. It was a few minutes before we broke out of the kiss, realising we had company.

The nurse had returned, with the doctor. She smirked at Naruto. "Sorry, but the doctor needs to examine his patient. You will have to wait outside, Naruto."

Naruto smiled happily down at me. "Your mother and Hanabi are coming up in the morning, but your father has clients all day. I'll be just outside okay?"

I nodded and he left.

"Aah," the doctor said, closing the door. "Young love."

X X X

And so, my near death experience was all over the school, when I returned a day later. Ino Yamanaka came sauntering up to me in the locker hallways expressionless, and for a moment I wasn't sure whether or not I needed to be on my guard. Then she surprised me by embracing me and half sobbing into my shoulder.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

I nodded, and stroked her shoulder. "Sure Ino, I'll l-live."

The blonde pulled away from me and I couldn't help but smile at her. The day before yesterday had been so _horrible_, and to have the queen of gossip suddenly crying her eyes out and hugging me like this was quite a giant leap forward. I was just glad she wasn't blowing her nose or anything like that.

"I'm sorry about the other day," she said weakly. "I should have known better than to listen to gossip. After all, _I_ gossip enough to know not all of it is necessarily true."

She didn't believe Sasuke had done what the rumours were saying, did she? I sighed. Well, at least she was talking to me again. I giggled softly, to show her I forgave her and she threw her arms around my neck again. Ino was extremely emotional today.

"Can I have a hug too?" Naruto asked, coming up behind Ino.

"Actually c-coming into school t-today?" I teased, and he blushed.

He regretted taking the other day off, I noticed. If he had been here, he would've made everything else that much more bearable. So he had promised me late last night, after coming back into the hospital room once the doctor was done with me that he would start coming in and on time from now on. Naruto had a lot of guilt on his shoulders. He had been carrying what he had done to me for years and now blamed himself again for his actions. But no matter how much I told him last night that Sasuke's behaviour, as well as the rest of the school, wasn't _his_ fault, he was insistent on making it up to me.

Ino pulled away from me. "You must be Naruto? I'm Ino. Hinata's told me almost _nothing_ about you, but she did say you're good friends with Sasuke."

Naruto stiffened at her words. "Nice to meet you Ino."

I sighed, not liking this new, serious Naruto, and decided to tease him. "Oh, Naruto's not g-good f-friends with _anyone_. H-he just thinks h-he is."

He pulled a face at me. "Aaww, Hinata-chan, you're so mean!"

I giggled and he crossed his hands over his chest. "You're buying me ramen for this one, Hyuuga," he said and Ino frowned at him.

"The guy is always supposed to pay," she said.

I touched her shoulder in a comforting way. "Not in t-the real w-world."

Ino laughed at me. "Yeah, I suppose I'm old fashioned that way."

"So about that hug?" Naruto asked, visibly brightening at the thought.

"Ino," I said, "w-would you m-mind hugging Naruto?"

She threw her arms around his neck, much like she had done to me and pouting at me over her shoulder, Naruto hugged her back. I couldn't resist teasing him. It not only lightened the mood, but relaxed his features. He looked much more like the Naruto I had met at the gates to Konoha – the one who had swept me away and put my senses into overdrive. I had met him again, through Sasuke.

'_Sasuke.'_

What was his problem? As Naruto managed to wrangle himself free of Ino and decided to grab my waist and lift me off my feet, I let out a startled, but excited yelp. Ino laughed at us as people stared. Naruto slid me back down and pulled me in for a deep, hungry kiss. What was it with him and kissing? Not that I was complaining about being kissed by the cutest boy in the school, but I wanted _more_.

Once I managed to pull out of the kiss, breathless, I wondered again about Sasuke, and Sakura. I needed to find out what was happening with _them_.

X X X

Sakura was ignoring me, but at least she kept her distance. Naruto had an argument with Sasuke in the cafeteria and the two were frog marched up to the principal's office. So I spent the rest of the day with Ino as much as I could, considering we didn't have many classes together, and Naruto of course, once he was let out of the principal's office. The seams of my life were slowly starting to sew back together, but Ino refused to talk to Sakura until she apologised for slapping to me (no response from the pinkette), and Naruto and Sasuke were giving each other the cold shoulder. An avid Sasuke hater named Shikamaru Nara (he was from a well connected clan as well) and his friends started to try to find ways to get Naruto into their group. He wasn't sure what side he was on right now, so asked them to give him some time to decide. It was very grown up of him, but I resisted the temptation to tease him about this.

He and Sasuke had been friends for a long time, and there was no _way_ I was going to let him just let it fall apart. Naruto took my proclamation with a quiet dignity for about five seconds and then frowned at me.

"He made you miserable and broke his promise not to get involved with either Sakura or Ino. How can you not hate him?"

I had told him everything that happened with Sasuke and Sakura, but I was still surprised to hear the malice in his voice when he talked about his best friend. Being quick to anger and holding grudges seemed to be another thing he had been carrying heavily for years just like his guilt. It upset me to see him this way.

"I don't N-Naruto, and neither do y-you. We're both j-just s-so confused right n-now. Just give it t-time, okay?"

It was the end of the day, so perhaps he was tired from actually attending a full day's worth of classes for once. He sighed, not fighting me on this. "Okay, I promise I'll just give it time. Who knows, maybe even _he_ will admit he was in the wrong."

I chuckled at him. "N-no need. I think one m-miracle is enough for this l-lifetime."

X X X

Naruto accompanied me as I walked home. He said he needed to speak with my father and I was determined to be a part of their discussions. Somehow, I was going to wrangle the truth out of the _both_ of them this time. Knowing we were going to tell Hiashi Hyuuga everything that had been happening did however, unsettle my stomach. I loved my father, and I knew now from my trips into my memory that he did indeed love me, but he was still _very_ intimidating. He wasn't the head of our clan for no reason.

"Naruto," he said as we entered the compound together, only glancing at me. "I wasn't aware you were coming over this afternoon."

Naruto nodded as my father's eyes spotted that we were holding hands. The blonde stared him down however. "I need to speak with you."

"We can use the sitting room," my father said. "Hinata, would you –"

"I'm c-coming with you f-father," I interrupted him.

He was taken back. I have _never_ interrupted him before. His eyes darted over my hands clasped on Naruto's, moved swiftly over my determined face, and then settled on Naruto's unconcerned expression. It must have really shocked him, because he took a while to respond.

"You've told her?"

Naruto shook his head. "She figured it out. But this is not about six years ago."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"It's about the other night."

My father lowered his eyes to mine. "What happened?"

I felt my face warm at his attention. He was actually asking me directly! "I was attacked, b-by a ninja."

Naruto too, looked down at me. "Actually Hinata, I believe your attacker was an Uchiha."

"What?" My father snapped, before he could stop himself.

The force of his reaction made me tremble. It was all so surreal, that he cared! From the memory of me playing happily to his cries as Naruto accidentally killed me, it had still seemed a world away. After all, it had been years since that happened. But right here, right now, he was worried about me! I struggled to breathe.

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto grabbed me as my legs threatened to buckle.

'_Kami give me strength,' _I thought. I needed to stop half collapsing every time something startled me.

He held a hand to my face. "You're still not fully recovered."

Oh. That was it. No, it was both. I realised he was right, but this half-faint was still brought on by shock at my father's words, as well.

"Inside," Hiashi said. "The sitting room."

We followed him and my father had me sit down, and I sat next to Naruto, on a larger chair. The blonde knucklehead kept his hand clasped on mine, sensing my distress and I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Hiashi Hyuuga noticed the exchange, but didn't complain. In fact, for an instant, I could have sworn he looked happy. The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"What happened?" He asked again.

Naruto glanced at me. "Hinata was attacked. But from her description, it not only sounded like genjutsu, but also the Sharingan."

"Sharingan?" What the hell was that?

"Firstly," Hiashi said to me. "Explain in detail what happened the other night."

So I rattled it off, from the first contact with my attacker, to the first memory which painted me as a happy child who knew she would one day be able to use her chakra, and finally the scene where I watched Naruto grow angry, attack my father, and then turn on me. Naruto tensed beside me as I described this. I squeezed his hand gently before also explaining about my dream –the aftermath.

I fell silent and waited for his response.

Naruto obliged. "The Sharingan is the kekkai genkai for the Uchiha, as the Byakugan is for the Hyuuga. In your memory, you saw a sliver of mine emerging when I got angry. Kekkei genkais are abilities passed naturally down through the blood in their clan. The bloodline kekkai genkai both Uchiha and Hyuuga use is called a dūjutsu, when you use your eyes to make them work. There are others, like mine, that are mostly all about the elements, but you can look them up later. The point is, the Sharingan is unique to the Uchiha, and they can manipulate memories on the level which you experienced last night. They can't _create_ memories," he said quickly, as I looked like I was going to interrupt. "They just bring them out. That night six years ago, Fugaku Uchiha blocked your memories of what I did to you, at the request of your father. He did this to protect you."

I sighed deeply, taking this all in. "Then what m-makes you think h-he would w-want to attack me?"

Naruto shrugged and my father answered. "From what you've described, it sounds like the Sharingan. I can't think of what else would explain it, but then I don't have access to the scrolls in the Primary Building that list every known jutsu. And there are so many."

"So it m-might not have b-been an Uchiha?"

"The chances of anyone _else_ in Konoha having the ability to open your memories like that as well as _knowing_ there was a block on them is far too remote," he said, calm.

I nodded. So this meant that, for some reason, one of the Uchiha had taken it upon himself to attack me, and show me what really happened. Sasuke floated about in my head and I shivered involuntarily at the thought of him attacking me like that.

Hiashi checked the time. "I have a meeting to go to. Naruto, you should tell Hinata the rest of what happened. We may need to revaluate how we plan to proceed."

He left the room without another word and I turned to face Naruto. "Proceed w-where?"

He played with my fingers. "One thing at a time."

I frowned at him and he grinned mischievously. "Oh come on Hinata-chan, don't look at me like that. There's just so much to say."

He tried to distract me with his lips, his hands, and the feel of him as he pulled me over to him to extend this make out session. I was beginning to think that he took these "distractions" more seriously than the actual serious conversations we've had. I let him have his fun for a few minutes (okay, it was fun for me too), then pulled away and insisted we talk about what my father had said.

Naruto put on his best puppy dog face and I ruffled his hair. But eventually, he calmed down and we started talking about my attacker. I wasn't really looking to relive _that_, more interested in my father's enigmatic last words before leaving the room.

"If it _was_ an Uchiha who accosted you," Naruto said, ignoring my disappointment at his topic of conversation. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do about it, at least not yet. Their kekkai genkai is stronger than the Hyuuga one, in several ways. We can't just go up to Fugaku and accuse him of attacking the Hyuuga heir."

I nodded and sighed. "I s-suppose you're r-right Naruto."

It was just extremely frustrating.

"I know what you're thinking," Naruto said, when I went to open my mouth again. "And it couldn't have been teme who attacked you."

"How do y-you know?"

"For the same reason you can't use your Byakugan yet. In order to hide from the ninja community that they can use their kekkai genkai, the Uchiha and Hyuuga entered into a binding, written contract with each other long ago that stated that only their highest ranking clan members would be allowed to access their chakra. You and Sasuke _both_ had a sealing jutsu put on you at birth."

X X X

**A/N: Sorry, no lemon yet. You're going to have to wait a little longer. But it's coming. Maybe next chapter, maybe after that... Who knows? Oh that's right, I do! ;)**

**Seriously though, I love you guys. I was so inspired after I got chapter 6 out, that I wrote most of this within the next 24 hours. Of course, then I came back to it again, rewrote it and made it longer, Lol.  
>Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews. They inspire me to write faster! ;)<strong>


	8. The Path To Forgiveness

**A/N: Okay, so by popular demand, this chapter has lemon… Hn.  
>Yay! The anti-lemonpro-fluff NaruHina muse inside my head is dead! I took it out under the guise of going on a fishing trip and drowned it, Lol.  
>Anyway, this isn't my first lemon, but for NaruHina it is, and definitely the first from first perspective. Hopefully you'll like it! *bats eyelashes*<strong>

**Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out.  
>This is AU of course, and possibly OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum.<br>**

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 8 – The Path To Forgiveness

Naruto agreed to stay for dinner and I relieved the chefs of their duty, wanting to cook for him. I cooked for my family sometimes, with my mother, when I had time or felt the need. But I wanted tonight to be memorable. On top of this, it was a good way of distracting my thoughts. I forgot about Sasuke, Sakura and the rest of the school. I forgot that I was still physically recovering from some memory jutsu used on me by an Uchiha, and I forgot that I still didn't know everything my father had told Naruto to tell me. I put my frustration at the man I loved aside and thought on the night ahead of me.

When Neji brought Tenten home for dinner, I didn't complain about the lack of warning. I had made more than necessary anyway. I greeted Tenten warmly and she raised an eyebrow at me teasingly as she spotted Naruto already looking famished. I chuckled at her.

"Come in, T-Tenten."

Neji also noticed, but kept his expression stoic. He approved of Naruto, anyway.

"Would it be too premature to say welcome to the family, Tenten?" My mother said warmly, greeting Neji's fiancé.

She was extremely happy, my father and sister coming in behind her. Hanabi and Hiashi nodded quietly to Tenten, but they were by no means being disrespectful. This was just the way they both were. Hanabi was just a younger, female version of our father. Hiashi had passed on that stoic nonchalance, but I had grown to see my father in a whole new light, both because of my surfacing memories, and his reaction to the attack on me. I would never doubt that he loved me, ever again. Still, there were other memories I had of him, as a negligent father, and it made me wonder if it was a direct result of that night six years ago.

I shook myself, remembering that I had promised myself to forget that, at least for tonight.

"How are you Hinata?" Tenten asked, gripping my hand as Neji stood next to her, looking concerned in his own way.

I must have visibly trembled as I shook myself of my thoughts. I forced myself to smile.

"I am f-fine, Tenten, th-thank you."

She smiled. My father touched my shoulder. "Sit," he said. "I will have the staff bring the food in. You have done enough."

"You made dinner?" Tenten asked, suddenly excited.

I nodded my head as we all took our seats. With my father at one end of the table, my mother sat at the other. Naruto and I sat on one side, with Hanabi sitting down on my right, and both Neji and Tenten sat across from us. It was such a domestic scene before me that I couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since I'd felt this content around my family, that I was glad for the events of the past few days, despite everything.

"Neji-kun told me all about your cooking," Tenten said, eyeing off the food as the staff entered the room. "He said it was the best he'd ever tasted."

I felt my cheeks warm as Naruto laughed and my mother shook her head at Neji. He remained indifferent to the conversation, but sighed softly. Beside me, Hanabi stared at him.

"Why would you say that?" She asked. "Mother's cooking is better."

Tenten frowned at her, but it was our mother, Hanari Hyuuga that responded. "We all have our preferences, dear."

Hanabi nodded, understanding and directed her eyes at the food instead. Once it was properly served, everyone fell silent and as was customary in the Hyuuga household, no-one spoke once they took their first bite. I had warned Naruto about this, but he'd already known. I had to keep reminding myself that he already knew my father, but I was surprised at how _much_ he knew. I looked up a few times, and on the last one, I returned Tenten's smile. She seemed to like my cooking _very_ much and I felt embarrassed again. I didn't look back up again.

I kept my eyes on my dinner, and at the conclusion, my father retired to his study to do some paperwork and my mother took Hanabi out of the room as she stared agog at Neji and Tenten. They had left their chairs and were leaving, hand in hand. I chuckled at them and felt Naruto's hand stop me as I moved to clear the table.

"Leave it," he said.

He stood up, pulling me up into his arms and lowered his mouth to mine. I pushed him softly and then pulled away. We'd just eaten dinner after all. He smirked softly to hide his disappointment. We mimicked Neji and Tenten, and left, hand in hand. The night was just starting, but the dinner was making me kind of sleepy. Naruto was having the same problem, swaying slightly next to me as we sat down on the grass next to the duck pond. The koi pond in that memory of mine was closer to the main house, while _this_ pond was isolated for the peace and quiet, which was another reason the ducks liked it. There were no ducks here, right now of course, as it was the wrong time of day… or night.

I snuggled up to Naruto. "You still owe me a h-history lesson," I reminded him.

He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around me. "I know."

He stared out over the calm surface of the duck pond. "You and I were friends you know, back before I left the first time. We were inseparable."

"Friends?"

Naruto nodded, and then made a face at me jokingly. "Yeah, how could we not be, considering our parents?"

I giggled. "I guess."

He hugged me tightly. "Our parents wanted us to marry, did you know that?"

I blushed at that. "Really?"

"Yep, but I don't need their permission."

My face started heating up and I couldn't control the dizziness. Naruto played with my hair.

"So sorry to embarrass you Hinata-chan, but you wanted to know."

His voice was playful, cheeky and hinted at the knucklehead inside. It was too soon to be talking about marriage. I was still sixteen, and my birthday was almost five months away! Yeah sure, I wanted to sleep with Naruto, but marriage was so much bigger, right? The commitment, the preparations – I struggled not to pass out from sheer terror. I wasn't Tenten, or Neji, with their excitement over their impeding nuptials.

"Hinata-chan, are you okay?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes, Naruto-kun."

He chuckled. "You haven't been stuttering, did you notice?"

"You make me f-feel more confident," I said, then mentally slapped myself as I stuttered again.

Naruto sighed. "I can see that."

I slapped his leg playfully and he chuckled again. We stared silently out over the duck pond and then I leant back into him heavily and lifted my eyes to the night sky. It was so beautiful.

X X X

The next few days passed quietly, with Sasuke and Naruto still not talking, but not at each other's throat. Ino Yamanaka had started talking to Sakura Haruno, but told me it was to try to bring her around. I supposed it helped that Sasuke was now ignoring Sakura as well, perhaps making her realise she had been used after all. I spotted her frustrated, stubborn face in the crowd several times, but upon noticing me, she would always just turn around and stride in the opposite direction. We had a lot of classes together, but she would dart in, take a seat far away from me, and then leave quickly, before I could talk to her.

The anger I had felt at her had dissipated, and I was now more upset than anything. Ino found me at my locker four days on from the day after my Uchiha induced trauma, looking as annoyed as I had seen Sakura looking these last few days.

"She's being stubborn," she said unnecessarily, brushing hair out of my eyes. "She knows Sasuke lied, and that he was just using her to upset you, but she's still hoping he'll talk to her. She's tried several times."

Ino didn't look particularly concerned about Sasuke, and I wondered if she was over him or not.

"On the plus side," she said, "Naruto's looking to hook me up with one of his new rocker friends. He's really into that scene, as I suppose you know, and there's this cute guy called Hirashi Momunen that I _really_ like."

"Over S-Sasuke?" I asked unnecessarily.

She smiled. "I'm trying to be. It's not easy, but I suppose Hirashi can console me."

She looked so devilish saying that and I giggled. "J-just as long as he knows where h-he stands."

Ino laughed. "No guy ever knows what he's getting into, sweet, but soon he'll _know_."

She winked at me. "Gotta go, see you at lunch."

I waved her goodbye and turned around. For a split second, I thought I saw a blob of pink in the crowd now thickening in the hall. I made my way toward where I'd seen the blip, and then turned toward the girl's toilets. There didn't appear to be anyone inside, at least at first. I remember back in the day, before Sakura had the courage to pursue Sasuke without worrying what anyone thought of her, she would often hide in the toilets to avoid the kids who teased her about her large forehead. She hadn't done _that_ in a long time.

"Sakura?" My voice was soft, but it travelled.

The pinkette stormed out of one of the cubicles and ignoring me, started to fix up her hair. She had been crying, I could see the rise of colour in her fair skin. Was she crying over Sasuke? I worried about her, despite the distance between us. She glanced at me in the mirror, now fixing her face.

"You got it so easy you know," she said a few minutes later, now having no reason to still be standing in front of the mirror. "You're the Hyuuga heir, with a popular Uchiha best friend and now with one of the hottest guys in the school as a boyfriend. Every one envies you, and many _hate_ you for it."

She wouldn't look directly at me and I didn't know what to say. She sniffled and stared at herself in the mirror. "_I_ hated you for it, for a long time."

Past tense. At least that was hopeful. I lowered my eyes to my hands, thinking about the week gone by. I had found out more about my family and the ninja community recently than anyone else even knew had happened. But did this make me happy? Knowing about what Naruto had done to me, how my father had reacted, despite my belief that he didn't love me, and then remembering what Naruto had told me about the first night he had left Konoha. The ninja had attacked him, out of the blue. And of course, despite all of his revelations, there was clearly more to this that he was refusing to tell me. My father had told him to, but the knucklehead had kept his lips sealed.

'_Those lips.'_

I sighed. Just thinking about him made me want to leave the toilets, track him down and ravish him no matter who disapproved. He had the strangest effects on me.

"Hinata?"

Sakura's voice made my head snap up to look at her. She was now looking directly at me and my lips parted in surprise at the softness of her address. Was she no longer angry at me?

"I need to tell you something," she said, running a hand through her pink hair. "And I need you to believe me Hinata, no matter what you may think."

I frowned at her. "W-why?"

"Why?" Sakura said, suddenly livid. "Because as it turns out Hinata, Sasuke likes _you_, not me!"

I shook my head. "No he d-doesn't."

"Oh, don't be _stupid_," she snapped. "It's why he did what he did. He was jealous of you and Naruto. He just used me, like everyone always does and now he's planning on claiming you, like he's some sort of Uchiha _dog_ who needs to mark his territory. And I…"

She broke off and turned away from me. She sniffled, but was able to stop herself from sobbing like some hysterical fan girl. I waited for her to continue, but she seemed more preoccupied with her cuticles, surveying them absentmindedly.

"Sakura," I said, but she didn't react. "I'm s-sorry he doesn't l-like you."

"It's your fault you know," she said softly, venom lacing her words. "You're more attractive on the high society market and the Uchiha are always about finding the best wives possible for their clan."

"You make m-me sound like some p-prize," I said angrily. "It's not m-my fault the Uchiha are into arranged m-marriages, or that y-you can't attract their attention to h-have one of them all to y-yourself."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You think I want Sasuke because he's an Uchiha?"

I nodded my head. "I didn't think about it l-like that b-before, but now that y-you're talking about marriage m-markets and clans, yes, I think s-so."

I was prepared in case she wanted to attack me. The area around my eyes started to sting, but I ignored it as I stared at Sakura. She seemed to be mulling over my words. Her face screwed up in concentration and then relaxed in resignation.

"I'm sorry Hinata, I know how I must sound, but I really do love Sasuke. He's not just a name and title to me." She pulled herself up to full height, like some dignified woman in high society would. "And I'm sorry for slapping you, I had no right. But that doesn't mean I want to be your friend anymore, you and Ino both. Please tell her that I won't ignore you anymore, but that's it. I can't be around you, because Sasuke likes you too much, and Ino won't leave you behind. Good bye Hinata."

She strode past me, out of the toilets and didn't look back.

X X X

Naruto followed me home after school, looking like some lost puppy and I giggled at the sight. I had told him what Sakura had said and he was determined to make me feel better. But that infectious smile of his and the way he worried over me was all I needed.

'_That and time.'_

No-one else was home. And with Neji spending more time with Tenten as they were starting the preparations for their wedding in six months time, even the servants weren't here. They must've been taken around to the wedding parlour for the afternoon and I guessed they were at the Hyuuga temple with my father. Hizashi Hyuuga had died years ago, so Hiashi had taken up the mantle of preparing Neji for his nuptials. The realisation brought a smile to my face. I couldn't wait to attend the ceremony.

This made things easier. Naruto had been giving me this peculiar look all day that made me want to be alone with him, in _my_ bedroom. As soon as we crossed the threshold into the compound, I spun around, grabbed Naruto by the hand and pulled him along with me. He was surprised, but didn't complain as I led him straight to my room.

"Why Hinata-chan," he pretended to scold me. "You have grown up."

I rolled my eyes at him as he lowered his lips to mine. My room wasn't as grandiose as say, Hanabi's, as she stuck to Hyuuga tradition and I liked the simplicity of the design of more recent adaptations of modern decoration. It was easier for me to come into this room and just be myself. My father expected me to be the heiress to the Hyuuga estate, but had yet to "show me the ropes" as the idiom went.

I dropped my bag and Naruto lifted me up easily, laying me onto my back, on my bed. He pulled his mouth away from mine and looked down at me. His eyes told me that he wanted this, just as I did, but there was something else bugging him.

"I want to be forgiven for that night six years ago," he said. "I _need_ you to understand that I hadn't meant to hit you. You are so beautiful, I can't lose you."

Naruto hovered over me, his body next to mine as he stared into my eyes. "I love you, Hinata Hyuuga. I have for a very long time. I'm sorry that I didn't come back for you before now, but everything is so complicated, I didn't want to get you involved. Can you ever forgive me?"

I smiled up at him. "There's nothing to f-forgive, Naruto."

He smiled sheepishly and leant down to kiss me. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me to him and pressed me to his body. My arms went up and around his neck. It seemed like the thing to do.

We were making out on my bed and I shut down the part of my brain that told me to stop, and that this was all happening too fast. Sure, I was still sixteen, but so was Naruto. His birthday was _before_ mine. But how did I know that? He had said we were friends before he left, the first time. He had killed me, and then used his kekkai genkai to bring my heartbeat back. He loved me, but it killed _him_ what he had done to me, so he fled again. It was Fugaku Uchiha possibly who had blocked my memories, at my father's request.

'_Stop it,' _I told myself. _'Just enjoy what is happening right here and right now!'_

Naruto's hands were wrapped around my waist, having pulled me toward him. With me lying on my back, this meant that he was able to shift between my legs if he wanted to. And this time, he did. We were past the kissing stage and I just wanted him to slide between my legs. He undid the zipper on the blazer I wore to school and his hands started undoing the rest of my uniform as I lifted my eyes to the ceiling. He'd broken the kiss to undress me _slowly_, but didn't move from his position over me. Once he'd removed the offending material, he stopped, rose to his knees, and stared down at me, his eyes roving over my naked body. I blushed at the attention, but exhilarated by the hungry look in his eyes.

"Hinata," he breathed softly, and then broke himself out of his reverie.

He lifted his shirt over his head, revealing his bare chest, and I realised that Naruto was one of those with the kekkei genkai who must actually _practise_ with it and work out. His body was flawlessly sculptured and I both couldn't and wouldn't stop my hands and they unbuckled the belt on his school pants as he assisted in tugging it off of him. I inhaled deeply, once he was naked, on his knees in front of me. His expression, coupled with that _perfect_ body was turning my skin a shade of crimson.

"Relax," he said, lowering himself to press against my body, and at the sound of his voice, I felt all of my inhibitions just fade away.

I could feel him extend against me as we returned to kissing. The teasing of his tongue was in overdrive this time as my arms went up and around his neck. His right hand stroked the side of my face and started to travel south, tracing the shape of my jaw line then my throat, and settled at my breasts. I moaned into his mouth, my back arching as he caressed the areola, sending a warm sensation spreading down over my abdomen. I couldn't explain the sudden knotting of my stomach, nor stop the sound of arousal emanating from her mouth at the stimulation.

Once he was sufficiently satisfied, he started moving south again, his lips leaving mine to nibble at my earlobe as his free hand slid under my back. His right hand trickled like water along my stomach, the faint sensation forcing me to shut my eyes as I gasped; my hands clung to his hair, twisting the blonde strands between my fingers. He knew what he was doing. Naruto moved his hand to caress my inner thigh before finally repositioning to clasp my folds and he proceeded to massage me.

My body writhed in pleasure underneath his and he kept this up for a few more minutes, before removing his fingers from me and lowering his lips to my ear to whisper to me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, lost for words.

Naruto pressed his forehead to mine and looked into my eyes. "Are you sure you want this?"

I nodded. "Nothing matters right now. I already know you would never hurt me."

He smirked at me slightly, and then shifted to his serious face. "This _is_ going to hurt, Hinata."

I nodded again, bracing myself. He whispered, "relax Hinata-chan, or it will just hurt more. I'll be careful, I promise."

Our forehead together, his bright blue eyes staring into the depths of my lavender ones, I felt it like a pleasurable sting inside my body as he pierced me to my very core.

"N-Naruto!" I gasped at the sudden intrusion.

He hadn't pushed too hard, but it was by no means a slow plunge. A single tear leaked out of the corner of my eye at the pain and Naruto lowered his mouth to kiss it. His body pressed into mine, his left hand still under my back as I tried to let go and just enjoy the feeling of him inside of me. He moved slowly at first, giving me time to adjust to these new sensations, and my mind went blank as the pleasure took over.

With Naruto's chest pressed against my breasts and his mouth on the nape of my neck, both of his arms were now wrapped around my back as the force of his intrusions became more vigorous. He was so elegant, so graceful in the way he pushed into me, that it was a shock to my system when he started going faster, my body moving in time with the momentum he was creating.

Naruto lifted his head to press our foreheads together again, his eyes glazed over with rapture. I lifted my mouth to his softly, grateful for the feel of him. The grunts and mewing of rapture resulting from this overstimulation were driving us both on and it was only once Naruto started biting his bottom lip that I realised the end was finally in sight. He let out an uncontrollable groan, his body shuddering, and a new warmth began spreading into my body.

I gasped as Naruto was suddenly motionless, still inside of me, but clearly not in a hurry to move.

I licked my lips. "Naruto…"

But I didn't have the energy to complete that sentence. My eyelids grew heavier and he kissed them as they closed completely. The black of my eyelid as well as the sensation of Naruto's body still pressed gently against mine sent me into a deep, contented sleep.

It was night time when I awoke and I realised Naruto had long since rolled away from me. But there he still was, on his back, naked and clearly dreaming sweet dreams. I smiled at that thought. Okay, it was a bit mushy, but I loved the way he looked as his face twitched slightly and his mouth was curled into a satisfied grin. I sat up, slipped a dressing gown around my body, left Naruto behind, sleeping peacefully, and headed toward the bathroom. The night air hit my face softly, thank Kami, but I was in a hurry to return to my room, and the warmth of both my bed and Naruto's sleeping form when I felt a familiar presence behind me.

Without turning around, I spoke forcefully. "What are you d-doing h-here?"

He didn't respond and I spun around to face him. The anger in his eyes scared me. I swallowed heavily.

"S-Sasuke, what are you d-doing h-here?"

X X X

**A/N: In the words of the indomitable Rock Lee: Woot! Lol.  
>Naughty Sakura...? I know she's being unreasonable; but quite frankly, she was just as unreasonable in the canon, with Ino. Just give her time. There's so much more to come. ;)<br>So, what did you think about the lemon? I tried to make it as romantic as possible, but it seems a bit smutty to me. Thoughts? **

**Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews. They inspire me to write faster! ;)**


	9. The Price of Secrets

**A/N: My lazy "inner Shikamaru" has struck again, so sorry for the late update!  
>That and the ItaSaku that I thought I'd gotten out of my system but came screaming back with a vengeance, LOL. :)<br>Set in Konoha, but the ninja academy is very selective and Hinata and her friends instead go to a normal high school. Hinata, Sakura and everyone else in their year are 16 to 17, allowing for birthdays. It isn't all straight forward, so I'll let you figure it all out.  
>This is AU of course, and possibly OOC, but I will try to keep that one to a minimum.<br>**

**1****st**** person, from the perspective of Hinata Hyuuga! Enjoy!**

Chapter 9 – The Price of Secrets

"S-Sasuke, what are you d-doing h-here?"

Sasuke Uchiha stared down at me, his eyes blazing. He was crouching on the rooftop of the Hyuuga free practise dōjō building where I had received my Menkyo (a certificate of mastery for the basic forms of hand to hand combat). It was where all Hyuuga trained. And now that I knew about the Byakugan, I wondered where my father practised _that_.

"So you know about the kekkei genkai," he said, his voice composed, as though he had just read my mind.

I nodded. "Why are you h-here?"

He jumped down from the roof gracefully, but didn't come any closer than that. He kept his face impassive, but a slight shift in his body language told me he _wanted_ to come closer and I worried even more what he was doing here. His dark eyes seemed to pierce into me as he weighed his words carefully.

"I won't hurt you Hinata. I'm not the one who attacked you, I need you to believe me."

I shook my head. "How c-can I?"

"Because we are supposed to be friends," he said calmly. "And I would never lie to you."

I scoffed at this softly, before I could stop myself and he raised his eyebrows at me.

"You don't believe me, but you listen to whatever Naruto tells you, even though he won't tell you _everything_. Even though he treats you like a child, not important enough to know what's _really_ going on?" His face remained impassive, but his voice was laced with a soft, underlying anger.

My eyes suddenly registered what he was wearing. He had on black pants, a dark vest over a simple army green shirt that reminded me of the way my father used to dress years ago, when he was first training me. This worried me what Sasuke was capable of. While I hadn't known it at the time, what my father had been teaching me for years was called taijutsu and a variety of tatákai **[**_*_**]** forms unique only to my clan. He had told me yesterday that once I can use my chakra again, I'd be able to learn something called a gentle fist, and many others like it. But what were the Uchiha capable of?

Sasuke must've realised I was afraid of him, so he lost the glint in his eye and the anger in his voice as he spoke again.

"What if I told you there is a war coming, and your beloved Naruto is the one who will instigate it?"

Naruto? I shook my head. He wouldn't do something like that.

Sasuke ignored my confusion. "The clans want to use their kekkei genkai without fear of reprisal, but Naruto has them convinced to also seek revenge. That's why he came back to Konoha. Not to kindle some emotional bond with you, but to kill those responsible for his father's death."

I clutched my dressing gown at my heart, trying to wish away what he had just said. Naruto had not said that the ninja community was responsible for Minato Namikaze's death. They had attacked Naruto out of nowhere, and then pretended it was just a misunderstanding. I shook my head, dazed and confused. Naruto wouldn't hurt them, would he? He couldn't. I glared at Sasuke and he lowered his head slightly, as though imparting some secret that he didn't want to be overheard saying.

"Think about it," he said. "He hasn't told you _how_ his father died has he?"

I shook my head reluctantly, but it didn't mean Sasuke was telling the truth. He took my silence as proof however, and lifted his head softly, like snobs do when they're looking down at you to better assert themselves. The Sasuke I had known before Naruto came to town was just a dream now. _This_ Sasuke, standing right in front of me, was the real one. He knew about the kekkei genkai, even though he wasn't eighteen, and therefore wasn't supposed to know. My father and mother had given me some reading material so I could fully understand the blood line limits, as well as the veil of secrecy now around them.

I never would've believed that my normal high school life was just a façade, to make people believe there was nothing special about the Hyuuga family, beyond our money, connections, and business enterprises. I looked back at my life before finding out about my family's big secret and found myself wishing for the bliss and ignorance. This weird, true world under the veil was freaking me out.

Sasuke stared past me, to where Naruto was fast asleep.

"There's more to the story than what Naruto has told you, I'm sure you've sensed this. Ask him what happened the night he ran away, how he got away from the ninja that were sent to kill him."

I gasped involuntarily. "What are you s-saying?"

Sasuke moved his head again slightly and his face was suddenly bathed in shadow.

"Minato passed a _very_ powerful kekkei genkai down to Naruto and the ninja elders fear all blood line limits. There was a huge power vacuum generations ago as clan members and civilian born ninja tried to take these kekkei genkai for themselves. If the ninja community found out that the Uchiha and Hyuuga knew of the Sharingan and Byakugan, they would wipe us out."

I shook my head. "You're l-lying. I know y-you are."

Sasuke stepped toward me slowly, but I didn't move away from him. He was an inch from me now and I trembled. He smirked down at me.

"You'll find out soon enough Hinata that you and I are on the same side."

I finally managed to take a step backward, struggling not to rip my dressing gown with my fist clenched in anger, and turned away from him silently.

"Hinata?"

My head jerked around at the sound of a feminine voice. It was Tenten. She looked at me sleepily as I glanced over my shoulder to note that Sasuke was gone. He moved quickly for an unwelcomed blotch on my night.

"Are you okay?" Tenten asked, still walking sleepily toward the bathroom.

I nodded. "I am f-fine Tenten, thank you."

I continued on to my bedroom. "Goodnight," I said mechanically.

She yawned. "Sleep tight Hinata."

X X X

I woke up to the smell of breakfast in bed, still wearing my dressing gown and torn as I ate, with Naruto beaming at me as I told him his cooking skills were improving (he had made me some ramen at his place, after he'd first told me he was adopted).

I wanted to tell him that Sasuke had come into the Hyuuga compound last night, and everything he had said, but at the same time, I had this fear that the Uchiha had been telling the truth. Not about Naruto not caring about me, after last night's activities his love was the one thing I _was_ sure of. I hid my blush well as Naruto took the empty tray from me and left to go have a shower. He was so happy this morning, and I contemplated not going into school. I found myself suddenly wishing it was still the weekend (today was Tuesday) and I didn't really want to run into Sasuke again. He had come to talk _very_ late last night, and didn't attack me, but I wondered at his motives. Sakura's comment flitted about my head.

"_He was jealous of you and Naruto. He just used me, like everyone always does and now he's planning on claiming you, like he's some sort of Uchiha dog who needs to mark his territory …"_

Was he still doing that by trying to convince me that Naruto didn't care about me? Even though I believe he was lying about that, that didn't mean he was wrong about the rest of it. But it did sound so fantastical. I was still in high school, and was planning on studying business at university while I convinced my father to show me how to run the family business. I intended on taking the Hyuuga leadership once my father retired.

This was always in the back of my head, but not until recently had I seen my plans so clear in my head. And then there was another thing. Did I believe my father was planning some kind of coup?

"_Naruto, you should tell Hinata the rest of what happened. We may need to revaluate how we plan to proceed."_

My father's voice rang in my ears as I laid back down and stared at the ceiling. It fit in with what Sasuke had said. And now that I thought about it, _why_ would Sasuke lie about something that huge? He'd never get away with it. I rolled over, rubbing my left temple and ran my fingers over the area encircling my left eye. This was where the Byakugan was supposed to be centred, apparently. I'd read the scrolls on it that my mother had shown me. She was annoyed that I knew, but happy at the same time, and was trying to convince my father to let her tell Hanabi as well. I had no idea how that was going, or if Neji even knew. But my cousin was over age, so I imagined my father had told him on or around his eighteenth birthday.

I returned my attention to the muscle that encircled my eye. Hyuuga children were taught a number of lessons in our youth about biology as well as the fighting styles, and I realised that these were to prepare us for using our Byakugan. The muscle there was called the Orbicularis Palpebrarum; a sphincter muscle, which meant that it was the muscle that closed and opened the eyes. The veins along here could be enlarged using chakra to send blood toward the eyes to activate the Byakugan. Or so had said the scroll.

It was so surreal to me, and I could hardly believe such a thing was possible. I trembled as Naruto came back into the room.

"Hinata-chan, are you okay?"

I sighed, not moving. "Y-yes Naruto, I am f-fine."

He climbed onto the bed and pulled me toward me, rolling me onto my other side.

"I don't believe you. You can tell me, I promise."

I smiled sadly at him and lifted my right hand to trace the muscle encircling his eye. The movement of my hand seemed to flick on a switch in his head and he stared into my pale eyes.

"You're worried about the Byakugan?"

I nodded. "I don't know if I w-want it."

He laid down properly, facing me and pulled me against his chest, kissing my forehead.

"It is a gift of the blood," he said, "and not one to be feared. It'll protect you, you'll see."

"Just like yours?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Naruto's grip on me tightened for a moment, then he let go and rolled away from me to sit up.

"I'm s-sorry Naruto-kun," I said, wiping at the tears that had sprung out of nowhere.

My conversation with Sasuke last night had thrown me about. But still, I hesitated to tell Naruto about it. Was this to keep him from killing the Uchiha, or to punish Naruto? I was worried about myself as well. I sat up as he spoke, his voice oddly distant.

"My kekkei genkai is called the _Aoi-hi Nōryoku_ **[******]** or **Aroyugan**, according to my father. He never did like it's original name." He moved his head slightly, as though wanting to look at me, but decided not to as he continued speaking.

"The **Aroyugan** is stronger the more chakra I use, and I can push my body past its usual limits. That's what it is basically, just a power boost. But it's dangerous, if I get angry or upset, it can get out of control."

This had to be why, when sometimes I think he's about to snap at someone or let his excitement get the better of him, he screws his face up or closes his eyes for a second, and a moment later, has calmed down. All this time, he was stopping himself from getting out of control. I crawled over to him and threw my arms around him from behind. He gripped my arms and sighed as I kissed his neck.

"I'm s-sorry," I repeated.

"It's not your fault Hinata-chan," he said and chuckled.

He spun around to face me, grabbed me by the waist, and threw me onto my back, the cheeky grin I loved so much plastered on his face. I let out an uncontrollable squeal and accepted his kisses as he lowered his lips to my mouth. He slipped his right hand past my dressing gown and slid his fingers down to my clit, moving to probe my inner folds as I trembled involuntarily. I gripped him harder as he proceeded to make me wet and caress my right breast at the same time. I felt like I had yesterday, when he'd first touched me down there, but more confident.

I lowered my hand to his member and returned the pleasure. Naruto smiled into my mouth, eliciting a moan from me; he bit my bottom lip gently as I came onto his fingers. He moved both of his hands to my hips and shifted my body as he lined himself up. I licked my lips and grabbed his hair tightly, the tension lighting up his face as he groaned appreciatively. Naruto touched our foreheads together as he entered me, his face lost to rapture. He pushed into me hard, and I grinned at my thoughts as my body reacted instinctively.

I knew that no matter what was really going on, I would stay by Naruto's side.

'_When the time comes,' _I thought warily, remembering Sasuke's warning about a war, and hoping he had been lying.

X X X

"Come on girl," Ino Yamanaka said, hooking her arm with mine. "You need to cheer up. You've got two hot guys head over heels for you and _me_ to cheer you up."

"I'm not unhappy," I said. "Just m-musing."

She rolled her eyes at me sarcastically. "Right Hinata and I had sex with six men last night, which is why I'm deliriously stupid today and didn't notice."

She pulled a face at me and I giggled. She gripped me tighter.

"That's more like it."

I smiled at her as she dragged me along with. It was the weekend again, the last three days being uneventful as Sasuke watched me from afar, and Naruto remained oblivious. I felt bad not telling him what happened, but every time I tried, my throat constricted and I felt faint.

Ino convinced me to go shopping with her, picking out lingerie to impress Hirashi Momunen, while pestering me until I bought a black, lacy set for the next time I slept with Naruto. Blushing profusely at Ino's comment, I'd indicated to the food court, not feeling remotely hungry.

Ino chuckled at me. "Hey, you're the one who just _had_ to tell me what you and Naruto got up to. It's my prerogative as your friend to nudge you in the right direction. He'll appreciate it, all men do."

About an hour later, I spotted Sasuke as he entered the mall and Ino, oblivious to all but the arrangement of high heel shoes she was perusing, didn't notice my sharp intake of breath. Sasuke was staring at me, a cigarette half out of his mouth, his hands in his jean pockets. The intensity of his stare was so obvious, even from across the road, and through a shop window. It was scary, the desire on him, with just that stare alone.

I hid my blush from Ino and left with her when she wanted to hit the high market. She didn't have as much money as I did, but always seemed to be able to live beyond her means. I hoped she found some rich guy to fall in love with one day so that she didn't end up in jail for tax evasion to pay for her bills or something like that.

After spending more than I should have, I left Ino at her parent's store and walked home, grateful that my stalker had slinked away into the shadows. Entering the Hyuuga compound, I found my father in his sitting room, my mother's dinner preparations wafting its scent through the house. I bowed and greeted my father and asked to join him at the low table. Instead, he stood and I remained motionless in front of the door.

I wanted to tell him everything, no holding back. It was funny, that I could get the words out now, but not in front of Naruto. It scared me more than what Sasuke had said.

Hiashi Hyuuga folded his hands in front of him carefully and watched me silently. I told him everything Sasuke had said, not telling him that the Uchiha had come onto the Hyuuga compound to tell me. He said that Naruto was after revenge for his father and that the clans were planning a coup on the ninja community. I was worried about that, not wanting to be a part of some weird takeover.

My father stared at me expressionlessly.

"Just what did Naruto tell you when I told him to tell you everything?"

"Just about the sealing of the kekkei genkai," I said without stuttering.

He raised his eyebrows slightly at me. "So Sasuke told you about the coup? He shouldn't have done that, in fact, _he_ shouldn't even know about it yet."

"Why?"

It was true that Sasuke, like me, wasn't yet eighteen, but all these secrets were incredibly frustrating.

"Why?" I repeated. "Why d-do you want revenge, and to take d-down the ninjas?"

He seemed to be weighing his next words carefully, staring into my eyes as he spoke.

"I do not expect you to understand. You do not work in the Primary Building and therefore do not see and hear the things I do. The Hokage is not the person you think she is. If she knew about the Byakugan or Sharingan, she would order our deaths."

"How do y-you know this?"

He sighed. "It was how Minato died, and why Kushina was so heartbroken that the stress caused her to die after giving birth to Naruto. He is their legacy, Hinata. And he has finally come to terms with this."

I inhaled deeply. My fears were confirmed.

"Do not think any less of Naruto," he said, correctly interpreting my confused expression. "He has not come to this decision lightly, which is probably why he has not spoken to you of it. He carried the guilt of your death for years and still has yet to fully embrace his kekkei genkai. The Aroyugan is not like the Byakugan or Sharingan. It is a force so strong that even Minato did not have control over it, and Naruto's is more powerful than his father's."

I nodded. "Yes father. And what about y-you, and Fugaku Uchiha? Why are you d-doing this?"

Hiashi frowned slightly at me, like I was an impertinent child. "I want you to use your Byakugan in public Hinata; it is who you are, and where you came from. You don't deserve to die because of your genetics."

I smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you father, I think I understand n-now."

"Hinata?" His voice stopped me as I turned to leave.

"Hinata, please be careful around Sasuke Uchiha."

Although I already knew the reason, I had to ask. "Why?"

"The Uchiha are powerful, even without the Sharingan. They're also relentless in getting what they want and are power hungry. Sasuke is the epitome of his father in almost every way. Just don't let him influence how you feel about Naruto, okay?"

I nodded my head, and once I'd turned away from him, he spoke softly.

"Hinata, I want you to know that I love you, and I'm sorry."

I turned back to ask what he had to be sorry about, but he had disappeared. It reminded me of how quickly Sasuke had left the Hyuuga compound in the dead of night several days ago.

X X X

Back on school on Monday I walked through the crowd almost like I was in a dream. There was a strange glint in Sasuke's eyes these days, and Ino had commented on the fact that he seemed to be stalking me from afar. I assured her it one sided, and even though I knew she still had feelings for him, she didn't _seem_ to care that it was me and not her that had attracted his attention. It was so strange that before all this crap had happened, Sakura was the most understanding of the two when it came to me, but the moment Sasuke started making his intentions _vaguely_ clear, it was Ino supporting me.

Weird.

I spotted Naruto in the crowd, talking to one of his rocker friends. My heart leapt at the sight of him, but my feet refused to move. I was so confused, so worried about what the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans were planning, and yes, what Naruto was up to. So did I believe Sasuke? My father had confirmed much of what the Uchiha had said, but warned me not to trust Sasuke. How was that helpful? But Sasuke… he had made me miserable for one day, at school and caused the rift between me and Sakura, but I couldn't help but think he wasn't lying about _this_.

I sighed, deciding just to take some time out to think about things, and with a last glance in Naruto's direction as his laughter reached my ears, I turned away from him and walked away.

X X X

**A/N: Shorter than anticipated, but this story is coming to its end, with only one chapter left.  
>There isn't that much left to do anyway. I think I'll round this off with ten chapters.<br>While the Hits, Story Alerts, Story Favs and Author Alerts are much appreciated, I would really love to hear from everyone. I would also like to know whether you guys are interested in the sequel I am planning to this one, and what you'd like to see happen between the Hyuuga & Uchiha clans and the ninja community. That's what the sequel will be about. **

**Hope you like it. Review, please! I love reviews. They inspire me to write faster! ;)**

tatákai [_*_] – literally means "fighting"

_Aoi-hi Nōryoku_ **[******]** – literally means "blue fire ability". The name of the kekkei genkai isn't based on what it does, but what it looks like when being used. It took me awhile to decide on the name for it, so hopefully it sounds right. :)  
>The word <strong>Aroyugan<strong> is my creation, just a variation of the Japanese words for Naruto's kekkei genkai.


	10. The Path Forward

**A/N: Final chapter… *sighs* And it's so very much more important than any other chapter. I won't waste time apologising for the late update – these things happen. It's finally come to an impasse, and I feel like this chapter is so much better written than the others as well.**

**…  
><strong>**Naaw, I've grown so much! ;P**

**Anyway, check the Author's Notes of other chapters if you don't remember what's going on. Oh yeah, and there's a teensy time-skip of four and a half months from the end of chapter 9. **

**I have to warn (and apologise) about a scene near the end – more than any lemon, it has earned this story it's M rating. It's dark, but I kept out the details as best I could while still giving the overall picture, so skimming over it shouldn't be necessary. But hopefully it'll give you guys a better idea of why the Hyuuga and Uchiha are so dead set on overthrowing the current ninja regime. You still love me… yes? n_n **

**Anyway, enjoy. ^_^**

Chapter 10 – The Path Forward.

The afternoon air was warm and excited – a tangible feeling for all those present. I had my traditional Hyuuga kimono on and couldn't remember the last time I'd gotten this dressed up for something that wasn't an exclusively Hyuuga affair. I wasn't that close to Tenten, though we got along nicely enough; because I was so close with Neji, I suppose she already thought of me as a little sister. But she'd been excited when her shiro-maku kimono finally arrived, and being the only girl within arm's length, Tenten had grabbed me and _dragged_ me into her fitting room to show me what she and her girlfriends had picked out.

Today was the wedding between Neji Hyuuga and Tenten Harakuma **[**_*_**]**.

The girl was freakishly friendly with me, always trying to involve me in the preparations for the wedding and I remembered this fondly as I watched her marry my cousin. The ceremony was just one aspect of a wedding, but seemingly the most important. They looked so happy, so determined – I wondered how much they'd actually thought this through. I also wondered how much Tenten knew about her now husband's family's plans to take on the Konoha ninja.

'_Focus,'_ I told myself, glancing in the direction of the Hokage.

She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and a buxom build – there were so many questions, so many doubts in my head: was she a good person, a victim of circumstance or evil incarnate? It was killing me to not know what the _hell_ was going on.

The entire higher echelon of high society was invited to the reception of course, but only a set amount had seen the actual nuptials. I wandered away from the buffet table after inspecting the finger food and attempted to avoid Sasuke Uchiha, looking for a familiar blonde in the crowd.

Over the past four and a half months, Sasuke had tried several times to talk to me, and I managed to avoid him for awhile – until one day in school, an hour before classes even started. He didn't attack me or threaten me – which I half expected him to do, despite the fact that the last time we'd talked he actually _said_ he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. He'd just wanted to know what I thought about his speech on Naruto's vengeance, our clans looking to take over…

But that smouldering, lustful stare of his wouldn't leave me alone.

"Hinata!" Naruto Uzumaki almost tackled me, only holding back because of the formal affair. He embraced me. "You look beautiful as always."

I blushed. "Th-thank-you Naruto."

He looked handsome in his tuxedo, having opted for the new age look – the dark of the suit clashed with his bright blonde hair and cheery disposition, but I love it. He wouldn't be Naruto if he had chosen to wear what everyone else was wearing.

Naruto's smile faded as his eyes drifted toward the Hokage and her entourage – which also included the council members. I took his hand in mine and pulled him with me as I spotted my cousin. We both needed a "pick me up". Neji and Tenten had just come off the dance floor and a few of her closest friends scuttled away as she spotted Naruto and I and waved us over unnecessarily.

"Congratulations N-Neji nī-san and Tenten chan," I said, bowing respectfully in front of them both.

Neji smiled lightly in return and Tenten threw her arms around my shoulders, squeezing me gently. "Thank-you," she whispered. "It's your turn next."

I blushed profusely as she pulled away, still holding Naruto's hand. He offered his congratulations as well, earning himself a hug from the bride as well.

"Come on Neji," Tenten said after a few minutes, taking her husband's arm. "I'm hungry and the buffet table looks lonely."

Neji squeezed my hand affectionately before following Tenten and I sighed.

"So much for that," Naruto said.

Before I could suggest we dance (or something of the sort), a hand tapped my shoulder.

"I don't believe we've officially met," Tsunade Senju said courteously and I shook my head.

"H-Hokage-sama," I said as evenly as I could, and we introduced ourselves.

"It was an honour to be invited," she said, her eyes raking a quiet Naruto and I nodded to her.

She seemed nice enough – this fact, while making me feel better momentarily, did nothing to sway the butterflies in my stomach. Did she know Naruto wanted her dead? Would she really kill us for something as uncontrollable as simply being born into a clan with a hereditary ability? Am I as good as dead regardless of my opinion on the coup?

'_I have to stop this.'_

These thoughts were why I was having trouble sleeping: Naruto's warm embrace softened my inner turmoil, but didn't get rid of it entirely. Some mornings were better than others.

Naruto continued to ignore the Hokage as she engaged me in my opinion on the ceremony. I watched the way her eyes flickered to my boyfriend every now and then and was glad that she didn't try to drag him into the conversation. But after the Hokage asked us if we knew about the relationship between the ninja and civilian councils, I knew I had to intervene.

"Father doesn't talk to me about politics," I said without stuttering. "I'm afraid it's not all that interesting to m-me."

'_Crap, almost had it.'_

"What about you Naruto?" Tsunade asked the blonde that was suddenly squeezing my hand tighter than before.

Naruto didn't respond, letting his eyes wander over toward the buffet table – and where Neji and Tenten had disappeared to. I didn't know what to say to placate him, so I just bowed to Tsunade, politely excused myself, and led my boyfriend away from the Hokage before he got us both into trouble.

X X X

Most of the guests had already departed – the Hokage included – and my father was looking at me oddly. I had already shared my concerns over the coup d'état with him, but right now, he looked positively confused.

"There isn't much more to explain," he said. "But if you're unsure, there's one last thing that can be _done_."

"What do y-you mean father?"

He looked past me. "Fugaku?"

I spun around, staring into the sharp eyes of Fugaku Uchiha. The man looked resigned and frustrated, nodding his head.

"With your permission," he said. "I'll have Itachi show you."

And with that I was being led over to where the Uchiha heir was sitting all by himself. He wasn't a party or people person, as I'd noted over the years, but was still hanging around. Fugaku let go of my arm as my father stood by my side, and walked over to his oldest son. They talked for a minute (the younger of the two glancing at me a few times) before seemingly coming to an agreement.

Itachi had always seemed to me like he was the epitome of style and poise. He rose from his chair and walked over to me with such grace, I almost stopped breathing. No-one could deny that the Uchiha heir was both formidable and the silent kind of dominant. I found myself struggling not to feel like he was trying to intimidate me. But at the same time, he exuded a kind of warmth that Sasuke had never been able to muster.

He was also incredibly good looking.

Not that I would ever admit that out loud: I had enough trouble admitting it to myself.

I barely noticed that Fugaku had followed him back over to us.

Itachi stared at me. The only people anywhere nearby were either unconscious from drinking too much, or already knew what was going on. He sighed.

"Father?" Itachi glanced at me before shifting his piercing gaze onto Fugaku Uchiha. "Are you sure?"

The elder Uchiha nodded at me. "She deserves to know. Show her."

He ignored Itachi as he left (after a moment of hesitation, my father also retreated), and the heir to their clan now stared uncertainly at me. He didn't like it, clearly, and continued to frown at me as though hoping I would opt out of knowing. The thin line he'd forced his lips into was not an uncharacteristic Uchiha trait, as I'd learnt from my friendship with Sasuke, but no matter how much he tried to make me not want to know, Itachi's attempt at intimidating me was failing miserably. I stared back into those dark grey eyes. Sure, he made me want to turn and run the other way, but my _need_ to see this memory his father had spoken of was stronger.

Eventually, Itachi sighed, backing down from this staring contest.

Did he do that on purpose?

"You have no idea how bad the ninjas are," he said evenly. "You had best prepare yourself."

I nodded. "I need t-to know."

"And stuttering is a sign of weakness," he said seriously, and I glared at him.

Itachi chuckled, now startling me. "You've got guts. Okay, meet me at the Uchiha estate in –"

"Can't I m-meet you somewhere else?" I interrupted quickly.

I _really_ did not want to risk running into Sasuke. He had been telling the truth about a lot of things, but that still didn't mean I trusted him.

Itachi shook his head. "You opened this can of worms. If you want to know badly enough, you'll meet me where I tell you to."

Fury and indignation built up in me, but I wasn't Naruto, with his blissful fearlessness. I wouldn't be testing Itachi Uchiha's patience any time soon. I nodded my head, biting back my retort. So much had happened lately, and so quickly. This new me, who thought of quips, whether she spoke them or not, was very surprising to me. Maybe this meant that one day, this stupid stuttering of mine would ease off as well.

"Tomorrow night," Itachi said, "at six o'clock, meet me at the estate gates."

And then he left, without waiting for a response. Typical Uchiha.

X X X

"Want to go to the Theatre?"

I shook my head at Naruto's question. I wasn't in the mood to head to the nightclub. It wasn't exactly a common hang out for me anyway – I only went there to be with friends or dance with Naruto. Neither were very appealing to me right now. The day had ended on Neji and Tenten's wedding and I was a bundle of nerves – I hadn't told Naruto yet about Itachi, just waiting to digest it myself first. Again I felt like I was in over my head with everything that was going on, but the worst feeling was not knowing what was going on – the deciding factor on standing up to Itachi and that intense stare of his.

"Let's go out t-to the gardens," I suggested a moment later, wanting to just get out of my room.

Cleaning the room we shared was a moot point now as the place was spotless, and Naruto was getting impatient, wanting to do _something_. Since Neji had actually moved out of the compound months ago, Naruto had moved in. Technically, he had his own room (it was improper for him to publically claim to be sharing my room with me after all), but spent more time in mine. My father would have a fit I suppose, if he knew just how _many_ nights over the past four months Naruto had spent in my bed, but a part of me hoped he wouldn't mind. He'd proven he actually does care about me, so the little girl in me that wants her father's approval and love, was banking on him being protective. Still, Naruto moving into the compound _had_ been Hiashi Hyuuga's idea in the first place.

They still wouldn't tell me why, but I suspected it had something to do with me in the first place.

Impatient, Naruto sighed, looking annoyed, but then a small smile graced his lips.

"Yeah," he said excitedly, "I wanna show you something."

He took my hand and practically dragged me out the shogi door and out of this wing of the complex. With the koi pond to our left, we sat on the grass, leaning against a tree.

I waited patiently for Naruto to show me what was so interesting and was about to ask him about it when he sat up straight.

Naruto flicked his finger and a spark lit up the cool air. I watched in fascination as the tiny speck of fire took the form of a fox and seemed to dance as it moved about in a graceful manner: the night was rife with small luminescent lights being created by a low level jutsu. Normally I'd be worried – the ninjas could see through things like this – but Naruto had assured me none were in the area and the lights would disappear once any got close.

The appearance of this strange light of fire warmed the area and I leant backward into Naruto, just watching the fox as it pranced. It was beautiful. I didn't even care that the koi pond was empty.

After a few minutes of pondering, I just had to ask: "How do you d-do that?"

"It's just a parlour trick," Naruto said huskily. "A little fire jutsu I learnt from Itachi but on a smaller scale – just strong enough to play with."

I giggled at that. "It's b-beautiful."

"I know."

I elbowed him gently. "What–"

"You're right," he corrected himself. He chuckled. "But anyway: the ninja of Konoha have been known for their fire techniques in the past, and the Katon no jutsu – a fireball jutsu – is an Uchiha one. It's who we are." He lifted his free hand, fingered the side of my face where I was supposedly able to activate my kekkei genkai. "It's in our blood."

I inhaled deeply. "Itachi is an enigma," I said. "H-he's intimidating b-but so serene at the same t-time."

"Don't go making me jealous now," Naruto joked. "But yeah, I know what you mean. I've been friends with teme for years, but I've always liked Itachi more."

His face fell at his own reference to Sasuke. I really wished none of that had happened – that the two could be friends again – but there was nothing remotely trustworthy about the youngest Uchiha anymore. He'd scared me more than Itachi, that's for sure.

"He wants to show m-me his m-memories," I said, referring to Itachi.

Naruto peered at me. "The ones with the Hokage?"

"You've s-seen them?"

He nodded. "It's not pretty Hinata. Are you sure you–"

"Yes," I interrupted abruptly, and then apologised profusely.

"Don't apologise," he said. "You're right – you need to see. If you're not sure you want in, then you at least need all the information you can. How else will you know what to do?"

"N-Naruto," I shuddered, hugging him and burying my face in his shirt.

I worried that he wouldn't want anything to do with me if I decided not to join the coup – I was terrified of losing this moment and never getting it back. Naruto had been so good to me (even if a part of it was guilt over what he'd done to me) and I felt more confident just knowing he cared – but the nagging doubt about what was going to happen wouldn't go away.

I didn't want to hurt anyone.

"I love you Hinata," Naruto whispered, kissing the crown of my head. "And nothing will ever change that."

The fire fox gave a tiny howl and imploded, disappearing and taking the warmth of our surroundings with it.

"Let's go inside," Naruto suggested, and I followed him onto my feet.

Without discussing it, we held hands on our way back to our room. We didn't need to go the Theatre – we didn't need to worry about anyone else right now. Inside our room, I spun around and initiated the first kiss of the night. Naruto happily returned my fervour and lay me down. The foreplay was short lived but I didn't care, and as he slid inside of me, I let my worries over the coup go… at least for tonight.

X X X

The next morning, I woke up content and at peace... strange for these times. But with Naruto by my side, this was easier than not. But the moment I started to get ready for the day, the nerves kicked in again. Worst case scenarios wouldn't keep out of my head and a few times, I almost dropped the breakfast tray on my way back to my room. Naruto had just emerged from the shower as I re-entered my room with our breakfast. Being a Hyuuga, I had a cook and maid to do these things for me, but I had just _felt_ like doing this myself this time.

I was a worse, jittery mess than usual when I had nothing to do.

"Morning," Naruto said, in his sing-song voice, and I smiled at him. "Got anything planned for the day?"

I nodded. "Gardening mostly: and l-lunch with the family."

"You haven't done that in awhile," he said, looking over our breakfast eagerly. He didn't ask to join us, probably realising the Hyuuga members needed some time to discuss things… whatever he thought those _things_ were. Instead, he gave me a grin before digging into his food.

Over an hour later found me musing on the school holidays and the inevitable run-in with Sasuke once they started up again. I was on all fours, clearing out a new garden bed when I sensed my sister's approach. We may not have activated our kekkei genkai yet, or worked with chakra, but we could always sense each other within a certain radius: it was a weird bond that also extended to Neji. The three of us had spent our formative years training together, but when father wasn't around, we took it further, by attempting to incorporate some of the Hyuuga techniques in with the child's game hide-and-go-seek.

It had interesting results.

Hanabi joined me in the gardens and even went down on all fours in the middle of the soil to help. I was pulling the weeds out by hand and for the first time in my memory, my sister was willingly getting dirty. She didn't comment on it, so I let her work beside me silently. But regardless, she definitely wanted to say _something_. She was weird in the fact that the idea of bonding was both strange and exciting to her.

"Sister," she said an hour later (we'd finished with the weeding and started planting the flowers I'd set aside for the array of now empty garden beds, including cyclamen, hyacinth, and lilies), "have you been having sex with Naruto-kun?"

And that was where the bonding ended.

I almost fell over giggling at the innocent look on her face and changed the subject. But her eyes narrowed on me nonetheless, and when we arrived in the family dining room for lunch, she finally stopped looking like she wanted to ask if I was taking precautions to not fall pregnant.

Half an hour later, lunch was over and my father was arguing with Neji again. Since they'd left the building, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but my cousin left the Hyuuga compound in a very undignified manner – storming out. Father wouldn't tell me what it was about, and yet again, I was stuck listening to Hanabi's wild theories. She thought maybe Hizashi had not really left it in his will for our father to take care of Neji… then she decided that Tenten was the cause, being from an unassuming family. I had to remind Hanabi that our father had been supportive of this matchup from day one.

"Hmm…" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully as we made our way back to our rooms. "Then it has to be something to do with living arrangements…"

And she was off with her theories again.

I wondered if mother had indeed succeeded in getting Hanabi permission to know about our heritage, and by extension, the planned coup d'état. The joint efforts between the Hyuuga and Uchiha were forefront in my mind these days, so it was my own theory as to the conflict between Hiashi and Neji for the past four months.

I left Hanabi at her door but instead of returning to the room I was sharing with Naruto, I walked out toward the gardens once more. After the lunch I'd had, a little peace and quiet was what I needed.

'_Until tonight that is.'_

X X X

The minutes were ticking by so slowly. It was currently five-fifty five in the evening, and I was staring at the gates to the Uchiha estate in fear. I'd been here a few times over the years, seen the tidy parterre, the winding streets and plain buildings – unlike the Hyuuga, very few Uchiha cared for gardening beyond just keeping it clean. They weren't a particularly decorative bunch either.

I didn't even have to knock once my watch told me it was six o'clock – Itachi opened the gates expectantly. I greeted him respectfully and he awarded me with a genial smile.

"Come in," he said, and turned to lead me away and then stopped suddenly. His voice was dangerous. "Go home otouto..."

'_Sasuke?'_

I panicked, not knowing where he was but at least trusting that Itachi had sensed him. There was no response from the shadows. Itachi growled softly as he continued: "…if you want to be able to pleasure a woman ever again."

I heard him then, shifting in the bushes, and then a moment later, the sound had stopped. Was he gone? Itachi seemed to think so, having started walking again.

We walked toward his family's acreage in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable – he seemed much more agreeable than he had at the wedding. Perhaps it was because there he was surrounded and outnumbered, while in the Uchiha estate he was in his element.

"Where are we?" I asked when he stopped suddenly.

"Hinata-san," he said, turning to look at me. "I won't bother to ask you if you really want to do this, but look around."

I gasped slightly. This area had seemed like just another open clearing between buildings, but now that I _really_ looked at it, the image was distorted.

"Look through the illusion," he said.

And then I saw it – it was a training ground, or at least made me think it could be used as one.

"We hide our abilities from the ninja," Itachi continued. "The Sharingan is stronger than any genjutsu they have, so they can't see through it unless we tell them it's there. Are you ready?"

I started back at him. The answer was "no, not really", but I didn't want to back down now – this illusion was extremely exciting to see and there was no way I was going to let it scare me off. I nodded. "I'm r-ready Itachi-san."

He frowned at my stutter but said nothing of it. "Look into my eyes."

Dark grey turned to red and black and the tomoe spun fast. This was the Sharingan: the power to manipulate space and time, to copy ninjutsu, and a host of other things my studies on both Hyuuga and Uchiha powers had revealed to me.

It was scary… but exhilarating at the same time.

I relaxed my body as the tomoe seemed to draw me in.

"This is a memory passed down the Uchiha line," Itachi said huskily. "Just try to keep in mind that you're in no danger – what you're about to see is in past and can't hurt you now."

I nodded, feeling my eyelids grow heavier. I closed my eyes for a moment, just a split second really, but once they opened, unfamiliar surroundings greeted me. The area was brown for a starters, with a heavy scent of blood and iron in the air. I was confused as to this memory's significance until I spotted a small child that reminded me of Tsunade Senju. But it wasn't her.

A man standing behind her looked like the first Hokage, and he was. He didn't look happy, watching the child with an expression of disdain and pity.

"We have to do it," another person said, coming up from behind me. "If we don't, they'll kill us all."

The man was unfamiliar – he had short silver hair and was dressed like a Konoha ninja, but didn't wear the headband I'd seen them don time and time again.

"I know," the first Hokage said.

"I know you don't like this," the silver haired man said. "I know you'd rather have a Konoha where disgusting little blood limit children can run through the streets and spread their diseases."

Hashirama Senju looked about ready to call off whatever they were planning, but his eyes hardened as he surveyed the blonde girl in front of him. It was then that I realised she was kneeling, her hands bound in front of her, and sobbing softly.

"She's not some monster, Hakku," Hashirama said.

"I know that," Hakku said scathingly, and I frowned at him. He certainly sounded like he thought the girl was. "But the village comes first Hokage-sama."

Hashirama flinched as Hakku grabbed the girl, but didn't stop him. "She needs to be made an example of," Hakku continued, ignoring the increase in the girl's cries. "They all do."

I tried to look away, unable to do so as the man had his way with the child before slitting her throat. Bile built up in my throat and once the girl stopped breathing, I finally managed to turn away, my hand on my mouth.

"There's more."

Itachi's voice rang in my head and the image blurred as Hashirama's disapproving face swam out of focus.

"Oh Kami…" I muttered, feeling like my early dinner was a mistake.

"Relax," Itachi said. "Distance yourself from it Hinata, or these feelings will overwhelm you."

I nodded. "O-okay."

The next image (and hopefully the last) was more familiar. Tsunade stood there, in front of a man who reminded me of Naruto. He was older, his hair a little longer, and he was wearing ninja regulation clothing. But he was also on his knees, like that little girl had been, and bound. He looked resigned but angry and I looked closer, noting the blood on his extremities.

"It's over," a man I recognised as Danzou Shimura said.

I only knew him because despite being a ninja, he had a lot of business dealings with my father. He was unforgettable, radiating a kind of darkness that only the truly sick at heart could carry off.

"Minato," Tsunade said softly and I gasped, looking down at the man. "I'm sorry."

This was Naruto's father?

"Then don't let them do it," Minato said, looking up at her. "But you won't stop them, even though you know they're wrong."

She inhaled sharply and shook her head.

"What's so wrong with order?" Danzou asked, motioning toward a masked ninja not far from him. "You were trying to take out our regime from the inside, to unseat your masters, and for that you must die."

Minato chuckled slightly, startling me. "I'm not dying because I saw your corruption and attempted to stop it. You fear me, what I can do, and how small you are by comparison."

The kekkei genkai.

Minato was glowing now, a soft blue colour that extended out from his body. It was just like Naruto's Aroyugan, but apparently not as powerful. The ninja Danzou had motioned to jumped on him, several more coming to his aid, their weapons drawn.

"You're just delaying the inevitable," Danzou snarled. "The clans will die and your sacrifice will have been nothing. Is that what you want?"

Minato Namikaze stopped, letting the strangely dressed ninja overpower him. The old man had just given him an ultimatum – come quietly or watch the clans slaughtered. This memory wasn't as disgusting as the first one, but made me equally revolted.

"I think I'll do this one myself," the old man said, drawing his own weapon.

He looked excited at the prospect of taking Minato's life. I glanced at Tsunade – just like Hashirama Senju, his granddaughter was just watching. She didn't like what she was witnessing, but she stood on the sideline nonetheless. My eyes flickered back to Naruto's father, my heart hammering in my chest as Danzou raised the sword over his head. I clutched my shirt, not fighting my tears as the sword came down.

I cried out involuntarily, unable to stop myself from watching and felt like throwing up.

Itachi's voice warned me he was about to pull me out, and I came out of the memory on my knees, panting, sweating and crying – silently crying, but crying nonetheless. I didn't want to sob my heart out with an audience. Itachi was patient, just waiting for me to recover. How much of what I'd seen could've been avoided? The picture of the Hokage in my head from Neji nī-san's wedding did not match the one in Itachi's memory. It was too confusing.

Where had they gotten the first memory from? While waiting for my heart to stop hammering, I contemplated this. What that man Hakku had done wouldn't have stayed secret, at least in the _right_ circles, since he'd wanted to make an example of the girl. So someone had extracted the memory?

Then there was the _execution_ of Minato Namikaze… none of it made any sense.

The cynic in me wondered how accurate these memories could possibly be, and whether or not I should just trust Itachi that they had actually happened. But I'd felt them, like the memories that my unknown assailant had dredged up of the night Naruto killed me.

I forced myself to stop sobbing and looked up at Itachi. The indignation must have registered something fierce on my face because he cocked his head at me like one would a resentful child.

"Sasuke showed you the night Naruto came back to Konoha," Itachi said, as though reading my thoughts. "Why do you think he's been avoiding you, for the most part? Father and I discovered he'd circumvented the seal on his kekkei genkai with the help of another and they were both punished."

"P-punished?" I croaked.

"We're not the ninjas," Itachi said severely. "We don't rape and kill children. We don't attack without provocation, and we certainly don't think someone deserves what they get when another person has an _urge_ like that and acts on it."

I looked up at him. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to consider that the world isn't as perfect as it seems," he said, now sounding more calm and in control of his emotions. "I want you to not blame anyone but Sasuke for Sasuke's actions, and I want you to look at this situation – to really _look_. Even the Hokage, who hadn't actually lifted her hand to kill Minato Namikaze is still culpable for what happened. But ultimately, whether you help us or not is up to you."

I nodded in resignation and climbed shakily to my feet.

If shadows could move on their own, Fugaku would be the architect of such an intrinsic design. Itachi didn't respond to his father's appearance, proving my suspicions that he had known he was there all along. The older Uchiha wore a stern expression as usual, but there was a glint in his eyes, like he was teetering on the edge of something. He didn't ask me if I was in or not, but his expression spoke volumes.

I nodded my head slowly at his silent question. "I'm in."

X X X

**A/N: Hmm… deeply content I am. ;)  
>Good news: yes, there is a sequel. Bad news: it's a one-shot, not a multichapter. I don't have the inclination for another NaruHina multichapter, and therefore would not be able to do it any justice. I'll let you guys know in an author note when the epilogue is complete. And just as a head's up, it's called <strong>'The Legacy of the Fourth'**. Didn't need saying, but I wanted to, so there it is. It shouldn't take anywhere near as long to finish as this chapter did, btw. More good news! n_n **

**Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed thus far and/or will review this chapter! Frankly, that's what kept me going in the first place and is the reason I've finally managed to finish this chapter. I keep my promises… no matter how long it takes, lol. Lotsa love! ^_^**

Tenten Harakuma **[**_*_**]**: Yeah, I gave her a last name.


End file.
